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Gambler's Den #1
Den of Shadows
“Den of Shadows was absolutely amazing. It is full of mystery, intrigue and felt a little bit magical.” Rebecca Evans
The Gambler’s Den weaves its away across the desert… But will it stop at your station?While fighting off poverty in the blistering desert heat a travelling casino offers one night of solace. One chance to change your fortunes. But once on board there is more to the show than meets the enter Franco, the elaborate ringleader, Wyld the stowaway thief and Misu the fire breathing showgirl.
In a kingdom ruled by the law Franco ensures his den remains in line. But when he’s faced with saving the fate of the train, and those on board, he may be forced to break his own rules. Life on the den isn’t just a job but a way of life and once you’re in you’ll never be able to leave.
Readers are loving The Gambler’s Den series! ‘What I damn fine tale this is!’
‘Just couldn’t put it down’
‘Escapism and a little bit of wonder’
‘Gripping’
‘Hugely enjoyable’
‘All three books will hold you, with every turn of the page’
The Gambler’s Den weaves its away across the desert… But will it stop at your station?While fighting off poverty in the blistering desert heat a travelling casino offers one night of solace. One chance to change your fortunes. But once on board there is more to the show than meets the enter Franco, the elaborate ringleader, Wyld the stowaway thief and Misu the fire breathing showgirl.
In a kingdom ruled by the law Franco ensures his den remains in line. But when he’s faced with saving the fate of the train, and those on board, he may be forced to break his own rules. Life on the den isn’t just a job but a way of life and once you’re in you’ll never be able to leave.
Readers are loving The Gambler’s Den series! ‘What I damn fine tale this is!’
‘Just couldn’t put it down’
‘Escapism and a little bit of wonder’
‘Gripping’
‘Hugely enjoyable’
‘All three books will hold you, with every turn of the page’
- GenresFantasy
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2017
17 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 19, 2017
3.5☆ Beautifully Descriptive
I want to start off by saying how Magical and Exciting the Book Cover is.
However for me the Book took ages to get going.
Don't get me wrong Christopher created a beautifully descriptive story capturing the magical feel to a casino,the varied Characters aboard the train, the life on board the train and the many places it visited.
He built up the atmosphere and the scenes delighting my senses.
But for me it just lacked something. I'm struggling to put my finger on exactly what was missing.
The depth of the story was lost on Atmospheric build up. I didn't get the rule breaking, fight for survival feel the blurb teased.
The blurb very much creates a fantasy / wild, fun, entertaining, risky, rule breaking, fight for survival feel but I didn't feel there was enough story line to keep me wanting more.
I think I was expecting more of a dangerous feel that comes with Gambling.
The Characters were flamboyant I would go as far to say theatrical/ circus /cabaret to a point.
Which was great as it added to the entertainment vibe of an exciting casino. Exactly how Christopher intended them to be.
It also has a Western/ steampunk / dystopian feel to it which I did enjoy.
I was very excited to read this book.
The idea of a Gambling Train that stops at different worlds enticing all walks of life to come aboard and be entertained and to take risks was so fresh and exciting.
The atmosphere was there but the story was missing something.
I do believe Den of Shadows has huge potential. I have never seen another book quite like this one before!
However I do want to point out these are just my opinions whilst reading the book.
Although this one wasn't necessarily to my taste it does have alot of potential.
I 'm hoping there will be a book 2 and that book 1 was just creating the vibe for an exciting fresh new series.
If there was another book I would definitely read it as I do feel Christopher has got something special. It just needs some fine tuning then it will be Perfect!
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Fantasy, adventure, Dystopian
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
I want to start off by saying how Magical and Exciting the Book Cover is.
However for me the Book took ages to get going.
Don't get me wrong Christopher created a beautifully descriptive story capturing the magical feel to a casino,the varied Characters aboard the train, the life on board the train and the many places it visited.
He built up the atmosphere and the scenes delighting my senses.
But for me it just lacked something. I'm struggling to put my finger on exactly what was missing.
The depth of the story was lost on Atmospheric build up. I didn't get the rule breaking, fight for survival feel the blurb teased.
The blurb very much creates a fantasy / wild, fun, entertaining, risky, rule breaking, fight for survival feel but I didn't feel there was enough story line to keep me wanting more.
I think I was expecting more of a dangerous feel that comes with Gambling.
The Characters were flamboyant I would go as far to say theatrical/ circus /cabaret to a point.
Which was great as it added to the entertainment vibe of an exciting casino. Exactly how Christopher intended them to be.
It also has a Western/ steampunk / dystopian feel to it which I did enjoy.
I was very excited to read this book.
The idea of a Gambling Train that stops at different worlds enticing all walks of life to come aboard and be entertained and to take risks was so fresh and exciting.
The atmosphere was there but the story was missing something.
I do believe Den of Shadows has huge potential. I have never seen another book quite like this one before!
However I do want to point out these are just my opinions whilst reading the book.
Although this one wasn't necessarily to my taste it does have alot of potential.
I 'm hoping there will be a book 2 and that book 1 was just creating the vibe for an exciting fresh new series.
If there was another book I would definitely read it as I do feel Christopher has got something special. It just needs some fine tuning then it will be Perfect!
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Fantasy, adventure, Dystopian
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
June 25, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Christopher Byford, and the publisher, HQ Digital, for this opportunity.
Can we just acknowledge how mesmerising this cover is!? In all honesty this is where my excitement for this book stemmed. And once I had then read the synopsis, which was remarkably cryptic and alluring, I just knew this was going to be the book for me!
The Gambler's Den brings a brief night of respite to the poverty-stricken and hard-working individuals who have made a home upon the desert's vast and windswept plains. The train arrives in each town laden with beautiful women, alcohol, gambling, and the promise to make, at least for one night, all your fears disappear.
Other reviewers have stated their discontent at the slow-build of this novel, but this is the section I most admired. The dark atmospheric qualities of this book grew until the setting became almost a character in itself. From there, I became absorbed into the realm of the mystical and belief was suspended, as I was borne across the desert along with the cast of theatrical individuals this circulates around.
This bore similarities to two previous books I have thoroughly enjoyed: The Night Circus and Caraval. All three books evoke a dark whimsy and a building sense of foreboding that haunts the narrative. Neither of the three are easily classifiable and it is this indefinable quality that truly captivated my attention.
This book bears a resemblance to classic Western literature, due to the setting and the lawless and heady feel aboard the illicit train, but is also clearly fantastical in nature. The adventurous elements combine into an almost dystopian plot-line, that had me constantly guessing and second-guessing the outcome. This book was many things, but the one that is for certain is that it was an unforgettable journey that I am keen to revisit in the second instalment in this thrilling new series.
Can we just acknowledge how mesmerising this cover is!? In all honesty this is where my excitement for this book stemmed. And once I had then read the synopsis, which was remarkably cryptic and alluring, I just knew this was going to be the book for me!
The Gambler's Den brings a brief night of respite to the poverty-stricken and hard-working individuals who have made a home upon the desert's vast and windswept plains. The train arrives in each town laden with beautiful women, alcohol, gambling, and the promise to make, at least for one night, all your fears disappear.
Other reviewers have stated their discontent at the slow-build of this novel, but this is the section I most admired. The dark atmospheric qualities of this book grew until the setting became almost a character in itself. From there, I became absorbed into the realm of the mystical and belief was suspended, as I was borne across the desert along with the cast of theatrical individuals this circulates around.
This bore similarities to two previous books I have thoroughly enjoyed: The Night Circus and Caraval. All three books evoke a dark whimsy and a building sense of foreboding that haunts the narrative. Neither of the three are easily classifiable and it is this indefinable quality that truly captivated my attention.
This book bears a resemblance to classic Western literature, due to the setting and the lawless and heady feel aboard the illicit train, but is also clearly fantastical in nature. The adventurous elements combine into an almost dystopian plot-line, that had me constantly guessing and second-guessing the outcome. This book was many things, but the one that is for certain is that it was an unforgettable journey that I am keen to revisit in the second instalment in this thrilling new series.
May 29, 2017
Netgalley Arc provided by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
This has been one of those curious "it's not the book, it's me" case.
Maybe I have read too many action-packed, quick-paced books lately, but this ride started very slowly and it took forever -almost to 50% into the book - to take up speed, and I still thought it was dawdling.
At first I did not notice, because the writing is beautiful: elegant and clear. The setting was promising and so was the start. I totally wanted to get on the train and take the ride.
But as the story progressed - or rather, it didn't - information was sparse and I kept on waiting for events to culminate, for some climax but when it came, it was not so much a bang, but a whimper.
Too many things were hinted at, but not explained. Characters were shrouded in mystery for so long that I simply lost interest.
My main problem, however, is that I think the book tries to be too many things at once: fantasy, coming-of-age-ish, character-driven-ish, steampunk-ish, westernesque, and this is inimical to plot and world-building. The story/characters do not have enough steam in them to carry the narrative far enough and though there are some interesting, more exciting stretches in the journey, mostly it is milkrun.
2.5 stars
This has been one of those curious "it's not the book, it's me" case.
Maybe I have read too many action-packed, quick-paced books lately, but this ride started very slowly and it took forever -almost to 50% into the book - to take up speed, and I still thought it was dawdling.
At first I did not notice, because the writing is beautiful: elegant and clear. The setting was promising and so was the start. I totally wanted to get on the train and take the ride.
But as the story progressed - or rather, it didn't - information was sparse and I kept on waiting for events to culminate, for some climax but when it came, it was not so much a bang, but a whimper.
Too many things were hinted at, but not explained. Characters were shrouded in mystery for so long that I simply lost interest.
My main problem, however, is that I think the book tries to be too many things at once: fantasy, coming-of-age-ish, character-driven-ish, steampunk-ish, westernesque, and this is inimical to plot and world-building. The story/characters do not have enough steam in them to carry the narrative far enough and though there are some interesting, more exciting stretches in the journey, mostly it is milkrun.
July 16, 2017
The Gambler's Den weaves its way across the scorching dessert, stopping at certain towns and offering its overworked and underpaid townfolk one night of solace.
One night
to forget all their troubles, let loose and have some fun. But once on board there's much more to the mysterious traveling show than meets the eye: enter Franco, the captain and heart of the train, Misu, Franco's second hand and fire breathing showgirl, and Wyld the young stowaway thief.
"Some called it a circus. Some referred to it as a carnival. Both were incorrect, for it was something much more grandiose."
In a realm governed by law, Franco makes sure to keep his den in line by being a strict and precise leader. But when he's faced with saving the fate of his train and those on board, he may be forced to break his own rules. For Franco, The Gambler's Den isn't just a job, but a way of life and the people abroad aren't just workers but his family.
Den of Shadows by Christopher Byford is a slow paced, western fantasy like tale about an elaborate showman named Franco, his relationships, and his traveling casino business.
At 176 pg's long this is a short book, but it feels much longer due to the pacing of the story. However, its so wonderfully written that I didn't mind its slow pace; it was very easy to get lost in the author's beautiful descriptions. Unfortunately, it did take a long time for the plot to reveal itself and I didn't really know where this story was going until about half way through.
I love the idea of a traveling train casino! Where ever it stops, it offers its new passengers a night full of shows, gambling games, drinks and much needed excitement and relaxation. The world building is great and the characters were fleshed out too. I just wish there was more to the plot. It took so long to get to it that by the time it did, it felt like this story had ended. It didn't feel complete to me. Fortunately, this is the first book in a series, so I have faith that the future books will add much more to the Gambler's Den world. I wanted more!
This is a beautifully written tale that will be sure to suck you in with all of its vivid imagery. Its full of colorful people, traveling, and casino fun. Worth the read!
**** I received an eBook copy of this title via netgalley in exchange for my honest review. ****
"Some called it a circus. Some referred to it as a carnival. Both were incorrect, for it was something much more grandiose."
In a realm governed by law, Franco makes sure to keep his den in line by being a strict and precise leader. But when he's faced with saving the fate of his train and those on board, he may be forced to break his own rules. For Franco, The Gambler's Den isn't just a job, but a way of life and the people abroad aren't just workers but his family.
Den of Shadows by Christopher Byford is a slow paced, western fantasy like tale about an elaborate showman named Franco, his relationships, and his traveling casino business.
At 176 pg's long this is a short book, but it feels much longer due to the pacing of the story. However, its so wonderfully written that I didn't mind its slow pace; it was very easy to get lost in the author's beautiful descriptions. Unfortunately, it did take a long time for the plot to reveal itself and I didn't really know where this story was going until about half way through.
I love the idea of a traveling train casino! Where ever it stops, it offers its new passengers a night full of shows, gambling games, drinks and much needed excitement and relaxation. The world building is great and the characters were fleshed out too. I just wish there was more to the plot. It took so long to get to it that by the time it did, it felt like this story had ended. It didn't feel complete to me. Fortunately, this is the first book in a series, so I have faith that the future books will add much more to the Gambler's Den world. I wanted more!
This is a beautifully written tale that will be sure to suck you in with all of its vivid imagery. Its full of colorful people, traveling, and casino fun. Worth the read!
**** I received an eBook copy of this title via netgalley in exchange for my honest review. ****
June 1, 2017
Many thanks to Christopher Buford, HQ, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Den of Shadows takes us on a journey through the Sand Sea, a vast desert waste where humans live with crime and corruption , hard labor and low pay with little entertainment. At the beginning of the story the kingdom of Eifera is very briefly mentioned, so briefly that it left me wondering why it was really even mentioned. There must be a story there that will be developed in future books. Otherwise it's just there for a juxtaposition.
The Sand Sea is known for its rough terrain, bad weather, and towns that popped up along trade routes. These towns are what the Gambler's Den was made for-a train fit for gambling and drinking with showgirls. There is a resident thief, breakfasts with cockatrice eggs, shootouts, and an evil sheriff. All the makings of a successful fantasy story right? But I just felt like the author wasn't sure where he was going at first. Then suddenly there is this plot with the manager and the sheriff in town. My assumption is this the beginning book of a series. What the Gambler's Den is and who the people are needs to be addressed. It took maybe half of the book. Then suddenly the reader is thrown not one, not two, but three subplots on top of the two character development plots and not one is heavily developed. I think Byford may have shortchanged himself. He has some really promising ideas here. I'm curious if there will be overlap into book two.
Keep writing, Byford. The ending leaves me wanting more.
Summer Fantasy Fest Read #1
The Den of Shadows takes us on a journey through the Sand Sea, a vast desert waste where humans live with crime and corruption , hard labor and low pay with little entertainment. At the beginning of the story the kingdom of Eifera is very briefly mentioned, so briefly that it left me wondering why it was really even mentioned. There must be a story there that will be developed in future books. Otherwise it's just there for a juxtaposition.
The Sand Sea is known for its rough terrain, bad weather, and towns that popped up along trade routes. These towns are what the Gambler's Den was made for-a train fit for gambling and drinking with showgirls. There is a resident thief, breakfasts with cockatrice eggs, shootouts, and an evil sheriff. All the makings of a successful fantasy story right? But I just felt like the author wasn't sure where he was going at first. Then suddenly there is this plot with the manager and the sheriff in town. My assumption is this the beginning book of a series. What the Gambler's Den is and who the people are needs to be addressed. It took maybe half of the book. Then suddenly the reader is thrown not one, not two, but three subplots on top of the two character development plots and not one is heavily developed. I think Byford may have shortchanged himself. He has some really promising ideas here. I'm curious if there will be overlap into book two.
Keep writing, Byford. The ending leaves me wanting more.
Summer Fantasy Fest Read #1
April 29, 2018
"I can't stand the idea of not being in control, that something is pulling my strings to reach a destiny I can't influence"
* *
2 / 5
This book took me on such a roller-coaster ride of feelings. It has such a promising and solid start that I thought it would a 4 or 5 star read for sure. Then it sort of plodded along aimlessly, picked up a bit near the middle with some Western-vibe gunfights and political malarky, then shuffled to the end of the book. Den of Shadows could absolutely work for you if you like slow-paced, character study-esque novels, but unfortunately I found it rather underwhelming.
Redemption never walked through the drift-soiled alleyways with the pimps and beggars. Clemency never sat itself at a back-end tavern and ignored the drinking and whoring. She had learnt long ago that prayers were hollow words.
Den of Shadows is about a train. Franco owns The Gambler's Den which roves on train tracks through the Sand Sea, a barren desert in a Rebel of the Sands sort of setting, providing lavish entertainment to the local people in the form of alcohol, gambling, and pretty women. The beginning features the train coming into a downtrodden weary town and it is genuinely a wonderful start, in a sort of The Night Circus fashion. Then the book focuses almost entirely on Franco, with a bit of unfinished background drama going on with Misu, the senior showgirl, and Wyld, a thief.
I'll start off with some strong positives. I though the setting was pretty cool; the roving bandits, the desert towns, the dealings with the locals. The Gambler's Den is also a thoroughly original idea (at least to me it was!). Further, the writing is simply lovely. It's beautiful in an understated way, not at all purple-prose like Caraval, which the Goodread's synopsis likens it to. The writing is so nice, in fact, that for the first third of the book it disguises the fact that absolutely nothing is happening. The train wanders around the desert, Wyld steals something, and Franco drinks himself into oblivion virtually every night.
Somewhere, in a place where the fatigue and inebriation collided, the past turned lucid
This book is really about Franco. Franco's past, his present with The Gambler's Den, his uncertain future on the train. It's about his rags to riches tale. It's about his relationships with his employees. It's such a shame that I couldn't stand him. I'm not sure if you were supposed to like him, to be fair, but I varied between being apathetic about him and then wanting to throw him off his own train. Far and away the best bits of the book focused on Jaques, a real stand up sort of guy who acted as Franco's boyguard, and Wyld the mysterious stowaway thief.
The Gambler's Den had a lot of promise (that cover is gorgeous!), but it failed to deliver on the plot and action elements.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* *
2 / 5
This book took me on such a roller-coaster ride of feelings. It has such a promising and solid start that I thought it would a 4 or 5 star read for sure. Then it sort of plodded along aimlessly, picked up a bit near the middle with some Western-vibe gunfights and political malarky, then shuffled to the end of the book. Den of Shadows could absolutely work for you if you like slow-paced, character study-esque novels, but unfortunately I found it rather underwhelming.
Redemption never walked through the drift-soiled alleyways with the pimps and beggars. Clemency never sat itself at a back-end tavern and ignored the drinking and whoring. She had learnt long ago that prayers were hollow words.
Den of Shadows is about a train. Franco owns The Gambler's Den which roves on train tracks through the Sand Sea, a barren desert in a Rebel of the Sands sort of setting, providing lavish entertainment to the local people in the form of alcohol, gambling, and pretty women. The beginning features the train coming into a downtrodden weary town and it is genuinely a wonderful start, in a sort of The Night Circus fashion. Then the book focuses almost entirely on Franco, with a bit of unfinished background drama going on with Misu, the senior showgirl, and Wyld, a thief.
I'll start off with some strong positives. I though the setting was pretty cool; the roving bandits, the desert towns, the dealings with the locals. The Gambler's Den is also a thoroughly original idea (at least to me it was!). Further, the writing is simply lovely. It's beautiful in an understated way, not at all purple-prose like Caraval, which the Goodread's synopsis likens it to. The writing is so nice, in fact, that for the first third of the book it disguises the fact that absolutely nothing is happening. The train wanders around the desert, Wyld steals something, and Franco drinks himself into oblivion virtually every night.
Somewhere, in a place where the fatigue and inebriation collided, the past turned lucid
This book is really about Franco. Franco's past, his present with The Gambler's Den, his uncertain future on the train. It's about his rags to riches tale. It's about his relationships with his employees. It's such a shame that I couldn't stand him. I'm not sure if you were supposed to like him, to be fair, but I varied between being apathetic about him and then wanting to throw him off his own train. Far and away the best bits of the book focused on Jaques, a real stand up sort of guy who acted as Franco's boyguard, and Wyld the mysterious stowaway thief.
The Gambler's Den had a lot of promise (that cover is gorgeous!), but it failed to deliver on the plot and action elements.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
May 12, 2017
Den of Shadows was absolutely amazing. It is full of mystery, intrigue and felt a little bit magical. This author knows how to grab your attention with beautiful world-building, without drifting into the realms of purple prose, and definitely had some interesting ideas.
Imagine that your town receives an invite to a mysterious event. A mysterious event which turns out to be a train, the Gamblers Den, run by a fantastical conductor and a crew of talented performers. Imagine this train will let everyone on, rich or poor, bringing a sense of unity to your town. But also giving you the chances to win some serious riches on some of the games on board. This train is a casino, carnival and party all rolled into one. And it is glorious.
This story and it's characters are largely quite theatrical, and I really loved it. It felt almost like a tale you might be told around a campfire, where the narrative is quite deliberately worded to really set the scene and tell a magical tale. However, there is nothing delicate about these characters - Franco, the leader of the performance is eccentric, intelligent and a little bit crafty but also quite influenced by his crew, despite leading firmly. I liked that he was so complex, and not so squeaky clean, whilst still being a showman. He reminded me of a certain popular character from a Leigh Bardugo book. The coquettish fire-breathing Misu is equally as intricate, and I wish her character had more chance to shine actually because she was lots of fun to read about. Equally, Wyld, the resident thief, deserved more time in the book than she was given and really grabbed my attention. The introduction of such a host of likeable, interesting characters shows really great promise for (I hope) any future books.
I love the concept and particularly that the story is constantly moving with the train to new destinations. I wanted to know why the train was struggling financially, and how Franco was going to get them out of a sticky situation that arose. The writing really is beautiful, I only wish I could have had a slightly more packed out story so I could enjoy the characters that little bit more. I absolutely recommend this brilliant book; I really hope there will be more to come!
This ARC was provided to me free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine that your town receives an invite to a mysterious event. A mysterious event which turns out to be a train, the Gamblers Den, run by a fantastical conductor and a crew of talented performers. Imagine this train will let everyone on, rich or poor, bringing a sense of unity to your town. But also giving you the chances to win some serious riches on some of the games on board. This train is a casino, carnival and party all rolled into one. And it is glorious.
This story and it's characters are largely quite theatrical, and I really loved it. It felt almost like a tale you might be told around a campfire, where the narrative is quite deliberately worded to really set the scene and tell a magical tale. However, there is nothing delicate about these characters - Franco, the leader of the performance is eccentric, intelligent and a little bit crafty but also quite influenced by his crew, despite leading firmly. I liked that he was so complex, and not so squeaky clean, whilst still being a showman. He reminded me of a certain popular character from a Leigh Bardugo book. The coquettish fire-breathing Misu is equally as intricate, and I wish her character had more chance to shine actually because she was lots of fun to read about. Equally, Wyld, the resident thief, deserved more time in the book than she was given and really grabbed my attention. The introduction of such a host of likeable, interesting characters shows really great promise for (I hope) any future books.
I love the concept and particularly that the story is constantly moving with the train to new destinations. I wanted to know why the train was struggling financially, and how Franco was going to get them out of a sticky situation that arose. The writing really is beautiful, I only wish I could have had a slightly more packed out story so I could enjoy the characters that little bit more. I absolutely recommend this brilliant book; I really hope there will be more to come!
This ARC was provided to me free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2017
Den Of Shadows felt like a mix of gangster movies and westerns. And also like kind of a letdown.
Byford crafts this world that might end up interesting: a goddess instead of a god; a civilization united largely by train tracks, spread through a land of sand and ruin; a train that brings fun and debauchery to every town it passes, cementing its status as a legend of this vast desert. There is a lot to mine here, so it's a pity that the book decides to dig in all the wrong places.
A hefty chunk of the story is dedicated to the relationship between young Franco, our protagonist, and his grandfather. This is not an unusual trope, but the bulk of this plotline can be summed up in a paragraph, its whole purpose lying in showing us why Franco loves the train so much and what he thinks of his grandfather. (If you have not guessed the answers to both questions from the preceeding paragraph alone, then you may find those flashbacks more interesting!)
Another part of the novel is just day-to-day life of the train inhabitants and the shows that they put on and there's also a little promise of a treasure hunt at the beginning. These are the most engaging and steadily fun chapters of Den of Shadows, as you actually get t know the side characters and understand who they are and why they joined the travelling wonder.
But then the treasure hunt turns into a one-chapter diversion into some other novel, one where gangsters shoot up vaults full of gold and characters come to terms with the fact that they are now killers. This is wildly jarring and, to make things worse, not explored that deeply. These things are treated like plot points, not character progression points. It's as if a book about adventure suddenly implodes and emerges as some disfigured Frankenstein's monster of murder, extortion, explosions, and convoluted plot points.
There are some stale tropes like "a traitor in their midst", a Javert-like stubborn two-dimensional sheriff, and one of the worst possible endings to a story, something that should have been left in the 20th century fiction. Also, Misu's characterization is butchered, so if you start off liking her - curb your expectations, hard.
This may be better if you go into it knowing that it's not an actual western, nor a fun adventure, nor a character-driven tale. This is just a long setup towards some lengthy action scenes that are fun to read, but leave little to think about and culminate in the aforementioned horrible ending.
This was just below average to me, my opinion soured mainly by Misu and the ending. Perhaps a sequel with some improvement would make it all better, as I do genuinely feel like the world may be a highly promising one
Byford crafts this world that might end up interesting: a goddess instead of a god; a civilization united largely by train tracks, spread through a land of sand and ruin; a train that brings fun and debauchery to every town it passes, cementing its status as a legend of this vast desert. There is a lot to mine here, so it's a pity that the book decides to dig in all the wrong places.
A hefty chunk of the story is dedicated to the relationship between young Franco, our protagonist, and his grandfather. This is not an unusual trope, but the bulk of this plotline can be summed up in a paragraph, its whole purpose lying in showing us why Franco loves the train so much and what he thinks of his grandfather. (If you have not guessed the answers to both questions from the preceeding paragraph alone, then you may find those flashbacks more interesting!)
Another part of the novel is just day-to-day life of the train inhabitants and the shows that they put on and there's also a little promise of a treasure hunt at the beginning. These are the most engaging and steadily fun chapters of Den of Shadows, as you actually get t know the side characters and understand who they are and why they joined the travelling wonder.
But then the treasure hunt turns into a one-chapter diversion into some other novel, one where gangsters shoot up vaults full of gold and characters come to terms with the fact that they are now killers. This is wildly jarring and, to make things worse, not explored that deeply. These things are treated like plot points, not character progression points. It's as if a book about adventure suddenly implodes and emerges as some disfigured Frankenstein's monster of murder, extortion, explosions, and convoluted plot points.
There are some stale tropes like "a traitor in their midst", a Javert-like stubborn two-dimensional sheriff, and one of the worst possible endings to a story, something that should have been left in the 20th century fiction. Also, Misu's characterization is butchered, so if you start off liking her - curb your expectations, hard.
This may be better if you go into it knowing that it's not an actual western, nor a fun adventure, nor a character-driven tale. This is just a long setup towards some lengthy action scenes that are fun to read, but leave little to think about and culminate in the aforementioned horrible ending.
This was just below average to me, my opinion soured mainly by Misu and the ending. Perhaps a sequel with some improvement would make it all better, as I do genuinely feel like the world may be a highly promising one
April 27, 2017
*ebook given through Netgalley which doesn't have an effect on my opion*
I enjoyed this book all the time! It was quick read,but the reader is given so much in these pages. Characters are wonderfully written,style of writing is amazing and the story is right amount of magic and mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone! So what are you waiting for? ;)
I enjoyed this book all the time! It was quick read,but the reader is given so much in these pages. Characters are wonderfully written,style of writing is amazing and the story is right amount of magic and mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone! So what are you waiting for? ;)
May 5, 2017
From reading the synopsis of this book I expected it to be an incredible fantasy novel. With claims such as 'perfect for fans of Caraval, Rebel of the Sands and The Night Circus.' However, what I got was a disappointing, slow read. (ACTUAL RATING: 1.5)
I expected so much more from this book than was given to me. I went into it excited and I ended it utterly disappointed. I don't feel as if there was any plot at all until about 80% of the way into it, and even then, the action only lasted for 10% or so and then the final part of the book once again bored me.
I didn't connect with any of the characters in any particular way, I didn't hate any of them but I just felt indifferent towards them. They were just kind of there and of no real importance to me. The only aspect of this book I enjoyed was the descriptive writing. I thought the way places and people were described was quite beautiful but combine this with the lack of plot and it felt as if the same descriptive terms were being used over and over again.
Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book which is such a shame because I wanted to love it so much. There just wasn't enough plot to keep me remotely interested and unfortunately I found myself looking forward to finishing it.
I expected so much more from this book than was given to me. I went into it excited and I ended it utterly disappointed. I don't feel as if there was any plot at all until about 80% of the way into it, and even then, the action only lasted for 10% or so and then the final part of the book once again bored me.
I didn't connect with any of the characters in any particular way, I didn't hate any of them but I just felt indifferent towards them. They were just kind of there and of no real importance to me. The only aspect of this book I enjoyed was the descriptive writing. I thought the way places and people were described was quite beautiful but combine this with the lack of plot and it felt as if the same descriptive terms were being used over and over again.
Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book which is such a shame because I wanted to love it so much. There just wasn't enough plot to keep me remotely interested and unfortunately I found myself looking forward to finishing it.
May 11, 2017
Review up on my blog: http://bit.ly/2pAcCi6
Ok, let’s start with the big one. This isn’t really like The Night Circus or Caraval as much as I think one might be led to believe. It doesn’t have the fantasy elements or the really lyrical prose that characterises those two books. Where Caraval and The Night Circus really focus in on long descriptions of the setting, Den of Shadows looks far more at the people involved, with less descriptions of the goings on that occur on the train.
But I loved that! I don’t think Byford’s writing style would lend itself to that kind of description, so having a different perspective on this amazing travelling casino was really great. I felt, in a way, more connected to the characters than I think I would have done had the book consisted of more lengthy descriptions of what was going on. So let’s put aside these comparisons and judge this on it’s own merit shall we?
Character wise, I was very happy. Franco was a character you could love, hate and love again all in the space of a page, with multiple flashbacks Byford really shows you his character, revealing plot points only when necessary and at the perfect times. Misu, one of the two (two!) really cool female characters was also a really interesting character with a past she is ashamed of. Of all the characters it was actually Misu and Wyld (the stowaway thief) that I would really like to learn more about in a sequel or maybe a spin off novel (a brief glance at Goodreads would suggest there is no such novel planned as of yet.)
This novel reads a bit like a western, but not a cliché or tacky western, it just has elements that really spoke of that dustbowl environment, the technology, the brigands and the like. This was a really cool setting (pun not intended, the book is set in a very hot place) and I was definitely transported away while I read this, which is one of the very reasons I read at all, so I was very happy.
There are moments when this book drags a little, I found myself skimming a few pages waiting for the action to start up again. But when it does, it does so with great gusto so you’re never bored for long.
All in all, I felt this was a really strong novel, it had a lot of great character development and building and was a well thought out and engaging setting. Don’t kid yourself, it’s not The Night Circus but it doesn’t have to be. It is it’s own independant novel and deserves to be treated and valued as such.
My rating: 4/5 stars (knocked one star off for the slight drags but overall had a great time)
Den of Shadows publishes this week so you won’t have to wait too long to get your copy if you ordered now, my last check it was £1.99 on Kindle which feels pretty darn reasonable to me.
By the way, I was sent a digital advanced review copy of Den of Shadows by the publisher (HQ digital) via Netgalley (thankyou!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and you all know I wouldn’t recommend the book if I hadn’t enjoyed it.
Ok, let’s start with the big one. This isn’t really like The Night Circus or Caraval as much as I think one might be led to believe. It doesn’t have the fantasy elements or the really lyrical prose that characterises those two books. Where Caraval and The Night Circus really focus in on long descriptions of the setting, Den of Shadows looks far more at the people involved, with less descriptions of the goings on that occur on the train.
But I loved that! I don’t think Byford’s writing style would lend itself to that kind of description, so having a different perspective on this amazing travelling casino was really great. I felt, in a way, more connected to the characters than I think I would have done had the book consisted of more lengthy descriptions of what was going on. So let’s put aside these comparisons and judge this on it’s own merit shall we?
Character wise, I was very happy. Franco was a character you could love, hate and love again all in the space of a page, with multiple flashbacks Byford really shows you his character, revealing plot points only when necessary and at the perfect times. Misu, one of the two (two!) really cool female characters was also a really interesting character with a past she is ashamed of. Of all the characters it was actually Misu and Wyld (the stowaway thief) that I would really like to learn more about in a sequel or maybe a spin off novel (a brief glance at Goodreads would suggest there is no such novel planned as of yet.)
This novel reads a bit like a western, but not a cliché or tacky western, it just has elements that really spoke of that dustbowl environment, the technology, the brigands and the like. This was a really cool setting (pun not intended, the book is set in a very hot place) and I was definitely transported away while I read this, which is one of the very reasons I read at all, so I was very happy.
There are moments when this book drags a little, I found myself skimming a few pages waiting for the action to start up again. But when it does, it does so with great gusto so you’re never bored for long.
All in all, I felt this was a really strong novel, it had a lot of great character development and building and was a well thought out and engaging setting. Don’t kid yourself, it’s not The Night Circus but it doesn’t have to be. It is it’s own independant novel and deserves to be treated and valued as such.
My rating: 4/5 stars (knocked one star off for the slight drags but overall had a great time)
Den of Shadows publishes this week so you won’t have to wait too long to get your copy if you ordered now, my last check it was £1.99 on Kindle which feels pretty darn reasonable to me.
By the way, I was sent a digital advanced review copy of Den of Shadows by the publisher (HQ digital) via Netgalley (thankyou!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and you all know I wouldn’t recommend the book if I hadn’t enjoyed it.
May 31, 2017
Some books lure you in with pretty blurbs and colourful covers but then the quality of the actual content is still a hit or miss situation. This one was a total and complete miss. It’s been a while since I read a book where I couldn’t find a single thing that I would enjoy. It’s a shame because I really thought I would like it.
From the very beginning I knew it wasn’t my kind of book. I was expecting adventures from town to town as the Den traveled through the desert. I was waiting for spectacular abilities and shows that never ends. But that was not what I got.
Instead there was tedious and never ending descriptions. Descriptions of places, descriptions of emotions, descriptions of trains, more trains and even more trains. I was never so bored reading a book.
Throughout the whole book I had no idea where the plot was going. A few characters had their own side story going on. BUT! Those stories would start and I was interested to see what would happen next to that particular character and suddenly we read the book from someone else’s point of view and we don’t really get any answers. I felt confused and bored and it just wasn’t for me.
The book is only 176 pages long and it took me 4 days to finish it, can clearly see how much I didn’t like it. I would only recommend it to readers who are really into trains!
From the very beginning I knew it wasn’t my kind of book. I was expecting adventures from town to town as the Den traveled through the desert. I was waiting for spectacular abilities and shows that never ends. But that was not what I got.
Instead there was tedious and never ending descriptions. Descriptions of places, descriptions of emotions, descriptions of trains, more trains and even more trains. I was never so bored reading a book.
Throughout the whole book I had no idea where the plot was going. A few characters had their own side story going on. BUT! Those stories would start and I was interested to see what would happen next to that particular character and suddenly we read the book from someone else’s point of view and we don’t really get any answers. I felt confused and bored and it just wasn’t for me.
The book is only 176 pages long and it took me 4 days to finish it, can clearly see how much I didn’t like it. I would only recommend it to readers who are really into trains!
May 30, 2017
A wonderful western romp!
Ohhh what I damn fine tale this is! After enjoying the original release of this book (Gamblers Den), I was very excited to hear that this story was reappearing with new content and edits. Just like when I read the original, I found this story engaging from the get-go, from the idea of salvation riding the tracks through the bleak desert landscape to the debonair central character which I could very easily picture in my mind’s eye. I found the story to hold all the expected traits of a western while placing in squarely in a universe of its own making. You are treated to both the expected and unexpected as the story progresses and hints at a much larger world that I hope gets explored in greater detail in the next book, along with the storylines hinted at throughout this book. Now to say anymore would render this review spoilerific so I will stop right here and advise you go read it for yourself.
As per usual, these are just the meandering thoughts of a random individual here in the Internet. Go have a read and tell us what you think.
Ohhh what I damn fine tale this is! After enjoying the original release of this book (Gamblers Den), I was very excited to hear that this story was reappearing with new content and edits. Just like when I read the original, I found this story engaging from the get-go, from the idea of salvation riding the tracks through the bleak desert landscape to the debonair central character which I could very easily picture in my mind’s eye. I found the story to hold all the expected traits of a western while placing in squarely in a universe of its own making. You are treated to both the expected and unexpected as the story progresses and hints at a much larger world that I hope gets explored in greater detail in the next book, along with the storylines hinted at throughout this book. Now to say anymore would render this review spoilerific so I will stop right here and advise you go read it for yourself.
As per usual, these are just the meandering thoughts of a random individual here in the Internet. Go have a read and tell us what you think.
November 6, 2018
Read the full review also on my blog here: https://lets-geek.blogspot.com/2018/1...
Den of Shadows is a novel that promises magic, but delivers mediocre action. The mix of steampunk, western, dystopia and fantasy make this a unique read.
Total Rating: 5.2/10
Originality: 6/10
Language: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Characters: 5/10
World building: 5/10
Fun: 4/10
Predictability: 5/10
Believable: 5/10
Relevancy: 5/10
Cover: 7/10
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Steampunk, Western
Time It Took Me To Read: approx. 3 hours
I was requested to review the last book in the series, so started at book 1 to set up the world.
Congratulations citizens!
I have the utmost pleasure in informing you that the dreary days of boredum will be a thing of the past! Let the streets ring in celebration and of joyous rapture once again!
Forget tour woes, bring your purse and, on the first of the month, await my arrival at your station no later than 6 p.m.!
With regard and well wishes,
Your servant,
- F
THE BOOK:
The story kicks off in a small town - the world is described beautifully, almost magically, with a wide desert called the Sand Sea, and overworked people who find a bit of distraction in the famous Gambler's Den, that announced itself - a casino on a train, travelling from town to town. The Gambler's Den travels onwards, with Windberg as the next station. However, Windberg seems to be the beginning of the end.
Originality: 6/10
The story seems to be a mix of steampunk, western, dystopia and fantasy, making this a very unique setting and read. The casino on board of a train, travelling the fast desert, gave me a bit of a The Night Circus vibe, truly magical. However, what came afterwards did not meet the expectations this great start set up.
Language: 5/10
The language was okay, and started at the beginning of the novel to weave magic, but then lost its thread. I found some words used relatively often, such as "utmost", and it almost seemed like the author tried to write "fancier" than he naturally wrote, so it didn't feel as real as it could.
"Come sunset, Windberg Central Station was exposed to the fading sky and packed with excited crowds. Platform 4 was barricaded off behind velvet rope. Tables were all laid out for patrons with flickering candles on each. They all buzzed and jostled as, from behind the rope, Franco gave the introduction, with the utmost bravado. "
"Freedom, lad. Freedom. It's the only thing that's worth a damn - the only thing worth seeking out from the day you're born until the day you're buried."
Atmosphere: 5/10
The beginning definitely caught me, but towards the second third it lost the magic. The story line with the criminal gangsters didn't seem to naturally flow for me.
Characters: 5/10
The author tried to add a bit of background to Franco, the owner of the den, as well as Misu, a woman he hired to manage the den by his side, but seems to have more influence than it first appears. I did not particularly like any of them, to be honest, which is not a criteria for me to give lower points. However, despite adding a bit of background story to them, I did not connect with them at all or understood their motivations that well.
World building: 5/10
I liked the dystopian world building, and the Sand Sea had so much potential! Unfortunately, it was not developed as much as I would have wished. Maybe in the next novels we learn more about the world.
Fun: 4/10
Unfortunately, because I lacked an emotional investment in the characters or was not interested in the story line from Windburg onward, it was not very fun to me the last two thirds of the novel.
Predictability: 5/10
It was not difficult to see certain things coming, but even more, I did not really care what happened.
Believable: 5/10
I did not get the story - criminal gangsters in Windburg want Franco's Gambler's den to transport illegal weapons and drugs. But ... why don't they just get their own train? I understand this train is rare, as it has been emphasised, but at the same time it was mentioned this train is old-school and there are much more modern ones. Would it not be much less obvious to transport illegal goods in a modern train like any other than a unique type of train?
Relevancy: 5/10
We have a few important themes in this novel: Freedom and Family. Travelling in the train is the symbol of freedom for Franco and many of the employees. At the same time, Franco refuses to call this group his family, while everyone else thinks they are some sort of family. Going through challenges together, they do however grow even closer.
Cover: 7/10
The cover supports the first impression I had, of a magical train, that despite being central to the story, felt kind of being in the background instead.
Total Rating: 5.2/10
A magical premise in a world with lots of potential. Looking forward to the next book in the trilogy!
Den of Shadows is a novel that promises magic, but delivers mediocre action. The mix of steampunk, western, dystopia and fantasy make this a unique read.
Total Rating: 5.2/10
Originality: 6/10
Language: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Characters: 5/10
World building: 5/10
Fun: 4/10
Predictability: 5/10
Believable: 5/10
Relevancy: 5/10
Cover: 7/10
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Steampunk, Western
Time It Took Me To Read: approx. 3 hours
I was requested to review the last book in the series, so started at book 1 to set up the world.
Congratulations citizens!
I have the utmost pleasure in informing you that the dreary days of boredum will be a thing of the past! Let the streets ring in celebration and of joyous rapture once again!
Forget tour woes, bring your purse and, on the first of the month, await my arrival at your station no later than 6 p.m.!
With regard and well wishes,
Your servant,
- F
THE BOOK:
The story kicks off in a small town - the world is described beautifully, almost magically, with a wide desert called the Sand Sea, and overworked people who find a bit of distraction in the famous Gambler's Den, that announced itself - a casino on a train, travelling from town to town. The Gambler's Den travels onwards, with Windberg as the next station. However, Windberg seems to be the beginning of the end.
Originality: 6/10
The story seems to be a mix of steampunk, western, dystopia and fantasy, making this a very unique setting and read. The casino on board of a train, travelling the fast desert, gave me a bit of a The Night Circus vibe, truly magical. However, what came afterwards did not meet the expectations this great start set up.
Language: 5/10
The language was okay, and started at the beginning of the novel to weave magic, but then lost its thread. I found some words used relatively often, such as "utmost", and it almost seemed like the author tried to write "fancier" than he naturally wrote, so it didn't feel as real as it could.
"Come sunset, Windberg Central Station was exposed to the fading sky and packed with excited crowds. Platform 4 was barricaded off behind velvet rope. Tables were all laid out for patrons with flickering candles on each. They all buzzed and jostled as, from behind the rope, Franco gave the introduction, with the utmost bravado. "
"Freedom, lad. Freedom. It's the only thing that's worth a damn - the only thing worth seeking out from the day you're born until the day you're buried."
Atmosphere: 5/10
The beginning definitely caught me, but towards the second third it lost the magic. The story line with the criminal gangsters didn't seem to naturally flow for me.
Characters: 5/10
The author tried to add a bit of background to Franco, the owner of the den, as well as Misu, a woman he hired to manage the den by his side, but seems to have more influence than it first appears. I did not particularly like any of them, to be honest, which is not a criteria for me to give lower points. However, despite adding a bit of background story to them, I did not connect with them at all or understood their motivations that well.
World building: 5/10
I liked the dystopian world building, and the Sand Sea had so much potential! Unfortunately, it was not developed as much as I would have wished. Maybe in the next novels we learn more about the world.
Fun: 4/10
Unfortunately, because I lacked an emotional investment in the characters or was not interested in the story line from Windburg onward, it was not very fun to me the last two thirds of the novel.
Predictability: 5/10
It was not difficult to see certain things coming, but even more, I did not really care what happened.
Believable: 5/10
I did not get the story - criminal gangsters in Windburg want Franco's Gambler's den to transport illegal weapons and drugs. But ... why don't they just get their own train? I understand this train is rare, as it has been emphasised, but at the same time it was mentioned this train is old-school and there are much more modern ones. Would it not be much less obvious to transport illegal goods in a modern train like any other than a unique type of train?
Relevancy: 5/10
We have a few important themes in this novel: Freedom and Family. Travelling in the train is the symbol of freedom for Franco and many of the employees. At the same time, Franco refuses to call this group his family, while everyone else thinks they are some sort of family. Going through challenges together, they do however grow even closer.
Cover: 7/10
The cover supports the first impression I had, of a magical train, that despite being central to the story, felt kind of being in the background instead.
Total Rating: 5.2/10
A magical premise in a world with lots of potential. Looking forward to the next book in the trilogy!
Read
November 28, 2018DNF @15%
This is about a casino on a train travelling through a quasi-Midwest with a thief so between that and the cover I figured it would be an exciting MG/YA adventure. It was actually written like a classic in distant omniscient third person following the adult owner. I’ve never been shy about saying how much I dislike this style of writing. I didn’t connect with the characters and nothing much really happened so DNF@15% (this is earlier than I normally DNF but the writing style was never going to work for me)
This is about a casino on a train travelling through a quasi-Midwest with a thief so between that and the cover I figured it would be an exciting MG/YA adventure. It was actually written like a classic in distant omniscient third person following the adult owner. I’ve never been shy about saying how much I dislike this style of writing. I didn’t connect with the characters and nothing much really happened so DNF@15% (this is earlier than I normally DNF but the writing style was never going to work for me)
May 19, 2017
*Thanks to Netgalley for providing me this ebook in exchange for an honest review*
This book is recommended for fans of The Night Circus and Caraval, but honestly, if you liked those I doubt you would like this one. Den of Shadows follows the same premises, a mysterious place for pleasure and games meant to wrap up the participant in its magic. But Den of Shadows is grittier, dirtier, less lyrical and magical, and more “adult” than the other two.
Franco Del Monaire fixed up an old train with his grandfather and converted it into The Gambler’s Den: a traveling spectacle providing a night of food, drinks, and gambling for the towns it stops in. When they make a stop in Windberg, a town known for it’s law-abiding Sheriff, they end up risking everything to make it out alive.
While the premise sounded fascinating, I did not enjoy reading this book. It’s less than 200 pages and nothing really happened until I was almost 40% into the plot. There was a lot of exposition for what amounted to be virtually no world-building. The characters fell flat. We might have gotten glimpses into their past from flashbacks, but they weren’t that informative or out of the ordinary. There weren’t any good relationships between the characters. Very minimal romance or family ties with maximum levels of guilt and fear from roles the characters played in the past and people they left behind.
So I was not invested in the world or plot or characters which made it very tedious to get through.
The best parts of the books were the end when we realize how much the girls care about the family they’ve created and the lengths they go through to protect it. Yet, we don’t have that many interactions between them to see where this love grew. The dialogue is very stilted and forced.
Diversity: +2
Race/Ethnicity: +/-1 No one was mentioned to be of a particular race. While no skin color was explicitly stated (that I can recall), they weren’t explicitly of color so be default they were white. Also it takes place out in the middle of a dessert somewhere so it feels like a place where “race” isn’t an issue.
However, the names kind of give some things away. Franco Del Monaire sounds French, is slick, clever, scheming, and the boss. Misu sounds Asian, is a beautiful, small, petite, woman in charge of two separate groups of women employed to pleasure men. Wilheim sounds German, but suffixes like -heim and -stein are often attributed to Jewish people, he is conniving, underhanded, corrupt, and launders large sums of money.
Gender: +1 [Wyld is only female who does not strictly adhere to standard gender roles, even for performers]
Socioeconomic Status: +1 [Some interesting commentary on how poverty affects decisions, breaking rules to survive]
This book is recommended for fans of The Night Circus and Caraval, but honestly, if you liked those I doubt you would like this one. Den of Shadows follows the same premises, a mysterious place for pleasure and games meant to wrap up the participant in its magic. But Den of Shadows is grittier, dirtier, less lyrical and magical, and more “adult” than the other two.
Franco Del Monaire fixed up an old train with his grandfather and converted it into The Gambler’s Den: a traveling spectacle providing a night of food, drinks, and gambling for the towns it stops in. When they make a stop in Windberg, a town known for it’s law-abiding Sheriff, they end up risking everything to make it out alive.
While the premise sounded fascinating, I did not enjoy reading this book. It’s less than 200 pages and nothing really happened until I was almost 40% into the plot. There was a lot of exposition for what amounted to be virtually no world-building. The characters fell flat. We might have gotten glimpses into their past from flashbacks, but they weren’t that informative or out of the ordinary. There weren’t any good relationships between the characters. Very minimal romance or family ties with maximum levels of guilt and fear from roles the characters played in the past and people they left behind.
So I was not invested in the world or plot or characters which made it very tedious to get through.
The best parts of the books were the end when we realize how much the girls care about the family they’ve created and the lengths they go through to protect it. Yet, we don’t have that many interactions between them to see where this love grew. The dialogue is very stilted and forced.
Diversity: +2
Race/Ethnicity: +/-1 No one was mentioned to be of a particular race. While no skin color was explicitly stated (that I can recall), they weren’t explicitly of color so be default they were white. Also it takes place out in the middle of a dessert somewhere so it feels like a place where “race” isn’t an issue.
However, the names kind of give some things away. Franco Del Monaire sounds French, is slick, clever, scheming, and the boss. Misu sounds Asian, is a beautiful, small, petite, woman in charge of two separate groups of women employed to pleasure men. Wilheim sounds German, but suffixes like -heim and -stein are often attributed to Jewish people, he is conniving, underhanded, corrupt, and launders large sums of money.
Gender: +1 [Wyld is only female who does not strictly adhere to standard gender roles, even for performers]
Socioeconomic Status: +1 [Some interesting commentary on how poverty affects decisions, breaking rules to survive]
December 16, 2018
The Den of Shadows weaves it's way across the land, bringing enjoyment and delight to the towns it visits. It offers nothing more than the opportunity to forget your troubles, and win a fortune, if you're lucky. The train is led by ringleader Franco, with his trusty second Misu, and a chorus of showgirls with mysterious talents. Yet, Franco must make a decision; save the train, or save his people. What decision will he make? Welcome to the den....
I have to say what initially drew me to the book is the cover; the cover gets four stars from me as it is so inviting and colourful, and just makes you want to know more. Secondly, the premise itself sounds really interesting; a train that travels stopping only at specific destinations offering a wild night of fantasy, fun, and gambling. Unfortunately for me, after these two it goes downhill.
This book took ages to get going; I was about 70% through the book before things actually started to happen. The first half (and more) is spent entirely in world building; don't get me wrong here, Byford does world-build amazingly, the train comes to life before your very eyes, and the ensemble is theatrical and interesting. However it is just not enough to make the book interesting overall; the first 70% of the book we watch as the train goes to a station, entertains for a night, and moves on - this happens multiple times and after a while just becomes a bit dull. I did not feel that the premise lived up to what the book actually offered. The writing itself was really good, and I feel the book had a lot of potential in itself, but I just feel that the actually plot was lost, and was just paced far too slow to make it a gripping read. I am intrigued to read where the second book goes given the ending of this one.
Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for allowing me a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I have to say what initially drew me to the book is the cover; the cover gets four stars from me as it is so inviting and colourful, and just makes you want to know more. Secondly, the premise itself sounds really interesting; a train that travels stopping only at specific destinations offering a wild night of fantasy, fun, and gambling. Unfortunately for me, after these two it goes downhill.
This book took ages to get going; I was about 70% through the book before things actually started to happen. The first half (and more) is spent entirely in world building; don't get me wrong here, Byford does world-build amazingly, the train comes to life before your very eyes, and the ensemble is theatrical and interesting. However it is just not enough to make the book interesting overall; the first 70% of the book we watch as the train goes to a station, entertains for a night, and moves on - this happens multiple times and after a while just becomes a bit dull. I did not feel that the premise lived up to what the book actually offered. The writing itself was really good, and I feel the book had a lot of potential in itself, but I just feel that the actually plot was lost, and was just paced far too slow to make it a gripping read. I am intrigued to read where the second book goes given the ending of this one.
Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for allowing me a free copy of this book for an honest review.
May 8, 2017
I was so intrigued by the concept as described in the blurb. The description was short and pithy, full of mystery and the promise of hidden depths... Add in the delightful cover art and great title and the comparisons to The Night Circus and Caraval, and I was sure I would fall right in to this one.
Not so much.
It started slow, but a lot of books do. (Although not either of the comparators I mentioned, incidentally.) I'm willing to give a book 50 pages (unless I hear from a trusted source that I need to give it more - and even then, I'm not willing to give it much more); as long as it gives me something to catch my attention, I'll keep going. This one just couldn't get me there...
I understand the importance of world building, but this one felt like all world building and very little action/story - and the world was a fairly dystopian, drab one, so there wasn't even any magic in that for me.The blurb made the three major characters sound so intriguing - the brief mentions of them were like a strip-tease: a dip of shoulder with their unusual names, a flash of leg with their tantalizing roles on the train... But after 20% of the book I still felt like that was all I knew about them. Their parts of the story would start to whisper at mysterious pasts and unknown futures, then they'd fall back into prosaic roles and responsibilities running the train/business, and a minute later I'd find myself back in world-building description - shaking my head and wondering where the action/mystery/secrets went...
Not so much.
It started slow, but a lot of books do. (Although not either of the comparators I mentioned, incidentally.) I'm willing to give a book 50 pages (unless I hear from a trusted source that I need to give it more - and even then, I'm not willing to give it much more); as long as it gives me something to catch my attention, I'll keep going. This one just couldn't get me there...
I understand the importance of world building, but this one felt like all world building and very little action/story - and the world was a fairly dystopian, drab one, so there wasn't even any magic in that for me.The blurb made the three major characters sound so intriguing - the brief mentions of them were like a strip-tease: a dip of shoulder with their unusual names, a flash of leg with their tantalizing roles on the train... But after 20% of the book I still felt like that was all I knew about them. Their parts of the story would start to whisper at mysterious pasts and unknown futures, then they'd fall back into prosaic roles and responsibilities running the train/business, and a minute later I'd find myself back in world-building description - shaking my head and wondering where the action/mystery/secrets went...
May 7, 2017
I am reviewing this book for NetGalley, whom I received it from.
4/5 stars.
This book almost was a 3/5 but it was saved by the compelling ending which was well written and engaging. I found the first 100 pages of the book to be quite slow, don’t get me wrong, when I was reading it I was interested; but, one of the things that I love about books are when I am left thinking about them when I’m not reading, and this book just didn’t do that for me. Right after the 100 page mark things shifted and I felt much more engaged and found myself reading more actively, and wanting to pick up the book instead of doing other things.
I enjoyed the characters, but I did feel that they could have been more developed, I didn’t feel connected to the girls, and I felt that too much emphasis was placed on Franco. We are given glimpses of his past, his relationships, and shown his vulnerable side, but I’m not sure how this advanced the story.
What I did love was the concept, this was unique, it was new, and most importantly it’s an idea which I hadn’t considered before, meaning it was refreshing to read. I loved the idea of a train, and I felt that I was transported to another time without the glaringly obvious detailing around time periods. It could have used some more fantasy, but the action sequences were enough and kept with the envisioned time period and small town feel.
Lastly, the message was appropriate and realistic, family, trust, and second-chances.
4/5 stars.
This book almost was a 3/5 but it was saved by the compelling ending which was well written and engaging. I found the first 100 pages of the book to be quite slow, don’t get me wrong, when I was reading it I was interested; but, one of the things that I love about books are when I am left thinking about them when I’m not reading, and this book just didn’t do that for me. Right after the 100 page mark things shifted and I felt much more engaged and found myself reading more actively, and wanting to pick up the book instead of doing other things.
I enjoyed the characters, but I did feel that they could have been more developed, I didn’t feel connected to the girls, and I felt that too much emphasis was placed on Franco. We are given glimpses of his past, his relationships, and shown his vulnerable side, but I’m not sure how this advanced the story.
What I did love was the concept, this was unique, it was new, and most importantly it’s an idea which I hadn’t considered before, meaning it was refreshing to read. I loved the idea of a train, and I felt that I was transported to another time without the glaringly obvious detailing around time periods. It could have used some more fantasy, but the action sequences were enough and kept with the envisioned time period and small town feel.
Lastly, the message was appropriate and realistic, family, trust, and second-chances.
October 7, 2017
This book has some beautiful elements, but overall it fell short for me. The plot just failed to develop. It was rather slow and I didn't quite understand what the point was. What was it building toward? I guess I just expected a lot more from this one. The writing wasn't bad, it just wasn't a very interesting adventure. I was constantly waiting for the story/adventure to really kick off, but it never did. The whole thing felt like a prologue of sorts. Perhaps that is exactly what it was, since this appears to be meant for series-hood. There is backstory, there is character development, there is plot progression, but to me it just felt like all the groundwork was being set for something that never actually came about. It didn't feel like the build up of a cliffhanging first installment though. It felt like a failed first attempt at a adventure series. I just thought it could be so much more. The story was built up to be this magical and fantastic adventure aboard the famed Gambler's Den. One night to beat all others. In reality it was nothing more than a bunch of con artists stealing away poor people's hard earned money, leaving them more poor than before and full of regrets rather than a once in a lifetime experience. Also, there were subplots that I just didn't get. Not that I didn't understand them, I just didn't get why they were there in the first place. I guess to add another layer to the story, but this one just fell short for me.
December 28, 2018
Thanks to Netgallery for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
The synopsis of Den of Shadows completely hooked me in, but sadly the execution did not convince me at all. Despite the book being not that long, I struggled to get through it. Here are a few reasons why:
» The beginning starts with a huge info dump, which is really not a good way to keep a reader engaged. I was quite put off when I had to get through so much background story to get to the actual story. It did make me worry about the rest of the story.
» The writing style - while very detailed - sounded more like dry telling, rather than showing. It just felt very passive and made me feel detached from the story. It sounded like someone was narrating a story for a textbook, which did make me a bit sad.
» Because of my problems with the slow beginning and passive writing style, I was not engaged in the story at all and could not bring myself to care for the characters of storyline. My interest was just not hold and I felt myself drifting away while reading this.
IN CONCLUSION: Den of Shadows had a good premise, but ultimately let down with a passive voice and lots of info dumping, which made me not care much about the actual storyline.
The synopsis of Den of Shadows completely hooked me in, but sadly the execution did not convince me at all. Despite the book being not that long, I struggled to get through it. Here are a few reasons why:
» The beginning starts with a huge info dump, which is really not a good way to keep a reader engaged. I was quite put off when I had to get through so much background story to get to the actual story. It did make me worry about the rest of the story.
» The writing style - while very detailed - sounded more like dry telling, rather than showing. It just felt very passive and made me feel detached from the story. It sounded like someone was narrating a story for a textbook, which did make me a bit sad.
» Because of my problems with the slow beginning and passive writing style, I was not engaged in the story at all and could not bring myself to care for the characters of storyline. My interest was just not hold and I felt myself drifting away while reading this.
IN CONCLUSION: Den of Shadows had a good premise, but ultimately let down with a passive voice and lots of info dumping, which made me not care much about the actual storyline.
December 22, 2017
This book is a rich development of a world that is closer to the Wild West than to hard science fiction. It is strange that it begins with a division between those who have the best of everything and those that support this lifestyle and yet the former have no role in this story. It is a slow read with very little going on for quite some time. The thing that keeps you reading is the style of writing and the world building and character development which are both well handled. Frequent flashbacks form the major mechanism for scene setting. Whilst effective, it is a little overused and the only variation is whether these are internalised or discussed.
There is some tension points where characters are at risk but there always seems to be a little twist that keeps them moving forwards. That is not to say that all characters survive, but the risk tends to be higher for peripheral characters. The story picks up pace towards the end and there is far more of the adventure story to it. This is also the time when some of the questions are answered.
The ending is quite abrupt, given the pace of much of the book. In fact it lurches to a conclusion that leaves plenty of opportunity for a sequel. It is an interesting read but not one that has the reader aching for more...well maybe
There is some tension points where characters are at risk but there always seems to be a little twist that keeps them moving forwards. That is not to say that all characters survive, but the risk tends to be higher for peripheral characters. The story picks up pace towards the end and there is far more of the adventure story to it. This is also the time when some of the questions are answered.
The ending is quite abrupt, given the pace of much of the book. In fact it lurches to a conclusion that leaves plenty of opportunity for a sequel. It is an interesting read but not one that has the reader aching for more...well maybe
May 7, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book. I went into it not knowing anything besides the blurb and the fact that I really liked the cover. I have to say that it didn't go in the direction I thought it would - it's less about the working of the train and more about the people and a plot that doesn't actually involve the gambling. The line on the front about being invited to the Gamblers Den is somewhat misleading to me but it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all.
There are a handful of central characters and more supporting ones who are present but never named. The central characters are all complex and they all have qualities that make you realise they aren't perfect, meaning picking a side at certain points is difficult, although this is no complaint.
I enjoyed the fantasy/western/steampunk setting, it blended all of these seamlessly and felt natural. It was easy to slip into the world and to understand where everything was and why things were happening.
Overall, a very interesting book and one I would recommend you pick up.
I liked this book. I went into it not knowing anything besides the blurb and the fact that I really liked the cover. I have to say that it didn't go in the direction I thought it would - it's less about the working of the train and more about the people and a plot that doesn't actually involve the gambling. The line on the front about being invited to the Gamblers Den is somewhat misleading to me but it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all.
There are a handful of central characters and more supporting ones who are present but never named. The central characters are all complex and they all have qualities that make you realise they aren't perfect, meaning picking a side at certain points is difficult, although this is no complaint.
I enjoyed the fantasy/western/steampunk setting, it blended all of these seamlessly and felt natural. It was easy to slip into the world and to understand where everything was and why things were happening.
Overall, a very interesting book and one I would recommend you pick up.
May 29, 2017
It was like The Night Circus sans the romance and the whimsy. And that's not bad! I loved the premise and the setting of the story - about a train that offers one great night to remember to erase all the other bad ones spent in the middle of a sea of sand. It was a great slow burn of a novel and I loved how it started out as if the train was magical and invincible but it it turns out that the people behind it, who were the reason behind the magic, are only human after all. Somehow, it felt to me like The Great Gatsby if it were set in the midwest because of the opulence and the tragedy of the characters. But the prose - THE PROSE. I didn't really mind if it there were times when it was a bit slow and dragging, I loved the writing and the world building so much it felt like this book was too short for me. The author really had a talent in setting the mood for the reader and I remember squeaking with delight after I read the first few pages. Nevertheless, this was one of those books that I forget quite easily. I am looking forward to the sequel though and hoping that the story will take the readers deeper into the world of The Gambler's Den.
May 15, 2017
Den of Shadows was a wonderful start to a series that promises to offer us some fantastic settings and brilliant characters, and definitely one I can't wait to explore.
In this installment we're introduced to a new world, new characters and villains. While this isn't a large read (there are only 176 pages) it packs a punch and builds a brilliant desert world that has wild west elements.
Wyld is the mysterious stowaway thief, who we only get snippets of throughout this book, but I would love to see more of her as she definitely has a story to be told. Franco is a businessman and a father figure, caring but also ruthless. Misu was sassy, strong and had plenty of secrets, which is just what you want!
There was such whimsy to this book and I loved the little details that have been left open to explore in the next installment. I highly recommend this book for anyone that's looking for a quick fantasy read with a wonderful world and incredibly unique idea.
In this installment we're introduced to a new world, new characters and villains. While this isn't a large read (there are only 176 pages) it packs a punch and builds a brilliant desert world that has wild west elements.
Wyld is the mysterious stowaway thief, who we only get snippets of throughout this book, but I would love to see more of her as she definitely has a story to be told. Franco is a businessman and a father figure, caring but also ruthless. Misu was sassy, strong and had plenty of secrets, which is just what you want!
There was such whimsy to this book and I loved the little details that have been left open to explore in the next installment. I highly recommend this book for anyone that's looking for a quick fantasy read with a wonderful world and incredibly unique idea.
May 13, 2017
For some reason, I just did not connect with this book as much as I thought I would. It tells the tale of The Gamblers' Den, a steam locomotive that travels through the desert, visiting outpost towns and allowing their inhabitants to enjoy a night of cards and festivities. The setting is interesting and while there is not a great deal of world building, you do get a sense of a wild west environment, that is slightly steampunk skewed. The idea is interesting too and the characters are reasonably well-drawn, albeit a little bit stereotypical. I think my main issue stems from what I consider a weakness of plot. In a book of this nature, there are so many options to explore, but instead we have a fairly rote villain and escape caper that doesn't really excite. There was great potential here, but for me, it just fell too far short of the mark.
March 10, 2019
I'm always a sucker for a good old-fashioned Western, and "Den of Shadows" 100% delivers on that aesthetic. The Gambler's Den is created so evocatively that you really get a sense of what the train means to people, rolling into town and spreading some frivolity in hard done by settlements in the middle of the dustbowl. You've got bandits, no good crooks, overly zealous lawmen and high-octane fight scenes. It's slow moving at first, the plot speeding up so gradually that it creeps up on you and you're suddenly on the edge of your seat hoping that all your favourites manage to survive until the next chapter.
The cast of characters is excellent too. I had a special soft spot for Franco, charismatic and driven yet morally dubious, but the showgirls soon won me over and I particularly wanted to see more of Jacques. Can't wait to see where they end up going in sequels!
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
The cast of characters is excellent too. I had a special soft spot for Franco, charismatic and driven yet morally dubious, but the showgirls soon won me over and I particularly wanted to see more of Jacques. Can't wait to see where they end up going in sequels!
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2017
Christopher Byford has created a world that had me blown away! The way he's built this incredible country l, filled with desert sands and trains that pass through, had me completely hooked from the start.
This is truly a story of the people on the train and how it survives in a world of the goodies and baddies that fight for it. The characters were wonderful and I can't wait to see them grow over this series. You love to hate Franco, you want to know Wyld's secrets and I just want to be Misu!
Den of Shadows read with a mixture of so many elements, fantasy, steampunk, western, and the story was so unique.
This is a fantasy world I could enter again and again, it doesn't need magic it works brilliantly as it is.
Am definitely going to read more by this author!
This is truly a story of the people on the train and how it survives in a world of the goodies and baddies that fight for it. The characters were wonderful and I can't wait to see them grow over this series. You love to hate Franco, you want to know Wyld's secrets and I just want to be Misu!
Den of Shadows read with a mixture of so many elements, fantasy, steampunk, western, and the story was so unique.
This is a fantasy world I could enter again and again, it doesn't need magic it works brilliantly as it is.
Am definitely going to read more by this author!
May 11, 2017
It's not even 200 pages long ( on my eReader) but every word had me wanting more of this awesome story!
Den of Shadows is an awesome, if not a little short, book about the mystical train casino that comes into towns for a night and vanishes the next morning.
The story is full of awesome and deep characters who work and live together on this train of wonders. We get to know a few of the characters better and live with them through sleepless nights full of work, drama and even a little romance. Den of Shadows is a well-written book that captured me from the first page. I honestly wish the book was longer because this world, the idea of this train really fascinated me. I haven't read something so original in a long time.
Thank you for providing this ARC.
Den of Shadows is an awesome, if not a little short, book about the mystical train casino that comes into towns for a night and vanishes the next morning.
The story is full of awesome and deep characters who work and live together on this train of wonders. We get to know a few of the characters better and live with them through sleepless nights full of work, drama and even a little romance. Den of Shadows is a well-written book that captured me from the first page. I honestly wish the book was longer because this world, the idea of this train really fascinated me. I haven't read something so original in a long time.
Thank you for providing this ARC.
May 3, 2017
Sci Fi & Fantasy , Teens & YA
This is my current read for review by NetGalley. Even though the beginning is about the backstory and how the gambling den came about with the train you don't have to be a train buff to get into the story. Feels sort of steampunk with the locomotive train and dress.
A lot of gambling and drinking being brought up so not suitable for younger children. I love the characters and the story caught my interest. Only about 40% so far so update to follow...
Okay the story builds up in momentum to the climax. No cliffhanger but I can see this being the start of a series that I would happily buy into.
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