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What would you do if you woke up on another planet, in someone else’s body, with a gun to your head?
Jay Wulf (as people keep calling him) is having a bad day. Rescued from imminent execution by the fiercely independent Savvi, he soon finds himself left alone to understand and survive the frontier perils of a savage new world.
Alone, that is, apart from a black tiger that won’t stop following him . . .
And if that wasn’t bad enough, a man with green eyes is hunting him, a man who will stop at nothing to put the universe right.
The Fifth Place series, starting with WULF and followed by SLADE, is about the universe under mysterious control, and the group of antiheroic misfits determined to survive it, no matter what comes. Ideal for fans of Stephen King's The Dark Tower books, Garth Ennis's Preacher graphic novels, Joe Abercrombie's First Law books, and the Firefly TV series, who want an exciting adult series merging Weird West, sci-fi, gritty fantasy, dystopian and adventure genres, with a diverse, flawed and irreverent cast of characters to root for against all odds.
N.B. This book features cursing, sometimes heavily. Blame Savvi, most of it is her fault.
Jay Wulf (as people keep calling him) is having a bad day. Rescued from imminent execution by the fiercely independent Savvi, he soon finds himself left alone to understand and survive the frontier perils of a savage new world.
Alone, that is, apart from a black tiger that won’t stop following him . . .
And if that wasn’t bad enough, a man with green eyes is hunting him, a man who will stop at nothing to put the universe right.
The Fifth Place series, starting with WULF and followed by SLADE, is about the universe under mysterious control, and the group of antiheroic misfits determined to survive it, no matter what comes. Ideal for fans of Stephen King's The Dark Tower books, Garth Ennis's Preacher graphic novels, Joe Abercrombie's First Law books, and the Firefly TV series, who want an exciting adult series merging Weird West, sci-fi, gritty fantasy, dystopian and adventure genres, with a diverse, flawed and irreverent cast of characters to root for against all odds.
N.B. This book features cursing, sometimes heavily. Blame Savvi, most of it is her fault.
332 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2016
190 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Set Sytes
34 books61 followersAuthor and purveyor of all things fantastical, dark and weird.
Please don't feed him onions.
Please don't feed him onions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 2, 2018
Publishing Date: December 2016
Publisher: ?
ASIN: B01NBLPFZF
Genre: SciFi Western
Rating: 4.9/5
Publisher’s Description: What would you do if you woke up on another planet, in someone else’s body, with a gun to your head? Jay Wulf (as people keep calling him) is having a bad day. Rescued from imminent execution by the fiercely independent Savvi, he soon finds himself left alone to understand and survive the frontier perils of a savage new world.
Review: Eden Hudson, famous author and all around renaissance woman, recommended this novel to me. Let me just say that you know when you have a great novel when you don’t want it to end and subsequently it goes by in a blink.
So what has got me all hot an bothered? Character development. Wow. Coupled with the constant movement and character interaction made for a riveting experience. Throw in impeccable world building and intense scene progression and….amaze-balls.
The world building is starting to remind me of Jack Chalker’s, Well of Souls series. I cannot wait to find out for sure.
You can read more of my reviews, HERE.
Publisher: ?
ASIN: B01NBLPFZF
Genre: SciFi Western
Rating: 4.9/5
Publisher’s Description: What would you do if you woke up on another planet, in someone else’s body, with a gun to your head? Jay Wulf (as people keep calling him) is having a bad day. Rescued from imminent execution by the fiercely independent Savvi, he soon finds himself left alone to understand and survive the frontier perils of a savage new world.
Review: Eden Hudson, famous author and all around renaissance woman, recommended this novel to me. Let me just say that you know when you have a great novel when you don’t want it to end and subsequently it goes by in a blink.
So what has got me all hot an bothered? Character development. Wow. Coupled with the constant movement and character interaction made for a riveting experience. Throw in impeccable world building and intense scene progression and….amaze-balls.
The world building is starting to remind me of Jack Chalker’s, Well of Souls series. I cannot wait to find out for sure.
You can read more of my reviews, HERE.
May 16, 2020
So I was actually recommended this one by the author himself via Reddit and since Weird Fiction is a soft spot for me, and the fact that this book was relatively cheap on Amazon, I figured what the hell right? Well after finishing it up recently, I'm honestly not sure what to make of it. It has some interesting premises but it feels like an orgasm that never quite gets there, leaving me feel blue-balled and busting for a piss.
So let's unpack this. In the world of Set Sytes, the Earth we know of is only one of thousands in a string of multi-dimensional Earths that are the same in principle but varied enough from one another. In the case of Earth 706, the world has purple skies, humans with grey skin, and technology on par with America's Wild West. And every so often, the overseers of the Earths pull some Dark City shenanigans and mess around with minor aspects of the worlds for scientific curiosity and shits and giggles. Except this time, one of their experiments went awry with a human mind from our Earth being transplanted into the body of a man on Earth 706.
A man by the name of Jay Wulf; murderer, gunfighter and all around hornbag. And suddenly this unnamed bloke has to work out what the fuck happened to him. At least, that's the idea. It also sounds like a mouthful to swallow but honestly, the initial premise only occupies the first chapter of the book, after which the story follows Jay as the new passenger inside his head tries to acclimatize to his new life and new identity.
Right from the start there is something engaging about the world that Sytes has put together here. On the surface it feels like an alien world with its strange sights, alien skies and bizarre people. But beneath that surface there is just enough of a semblance to our own reality that it feels wrong in an unsettling way. The writing is decent with a subtle shade of purple that doesn't feel too complicated or abstract. I kind of get the impression Sytes takes cues from China Mieville in his style and if that's the case, I can appreciate it. The book also has a couple of interesting twists that are decently executed to the extent that they felt like a pleasant surprise and not a slap in the face and in hindsight I could see making sense.
The characters we follow through the story are a mixed bag, ranging from interesting to meh with the two standouts being Wulf himself and the Dotha warrior woman Savvi. Wulf really does feel like a mixture of two personas fighting it out inside a single body with the unnamed human protag functioning as the soft spoken polite Yin to the actual Wulf's wild impulsive Yang. Savvi is probably the highlight of the book; a wild, crass, hard-drinking, bloodthirsty bitch who makes no bones about her life and behaviour. She is who she is and revels in it. But Sytes also takes time to show that she's not just a one-trick-pony with some moments that show beneath the scarred exterior is a broken woman with a death wish. The two weak links are sadly the two figures around which the plot seems to function; Alexia Slade and her retainer Dol Sander. Alexia initially comes across as a rebellious daughter to a stuck up father, but then her father dies and suddenly she becomes this support figure to Wulf in trying to just get away from her pain and leave her life behind and honestly, she just didn't have enough personality to carry herself. Dol Sander meanwhile is kind of a stone block with their two defining traits being loyalty to Alexia and being a hermaphrodite. That's it. The character has very little in terms of actual presence other than being Alexia's shadow/guide.
In fact a lot of the story feels like that; a lot of good ideas that in theory could fit together well if implemented correctly, but in practice fail to work because of wasted potential. The book is split into two parts with the first half of the story being the protag waking up in the body of Wulf, finding his bearings, meeting Savvi and Alexia, leaving the town of Nowhere with Alexia to just wander the wastes then meeting Dol Sander. The second half however almost completely throws that initial premise aside when the overseer that fucked up the reality swapping comes down to Earth 706 to take down Wulf and kidnaps Alexia. That's pretty much it.
In fact the whole book feels like a lot of wasted potential. The initial idea of multi-dimensional Earths feels more like a reason to execute the plot rather than a way to develop the world/setting. We never actually learn the protagonist's name or anything about his former life, so there was some disconnect when I was reading his identity crisis moments, because I had no reason to care. I was reading about Wulf, not the human being occupying his mind. The love story angle blossoming between Wulf and Alexia felt kind of stiff and forced with only a few conversations between them before the L-word was finally dropped towards the end. After the initial setup, the whole first half of the book just kind of meanders about while Sytes introduces the protag and the reader to the world with no real payoff. The second half became one big chase/fight sequence, a fight I might add that resolves a lot of the bodyswap things in a really anti-climactic way. And that ending....what the fuck was that? I love me some surrealist Salvador Dali shit but that felt more like a string of word salad that I had no connection to at all.
The strange thing is, I still kind of want to read the second book. Like I said, there is potential here and I do see something of a myth arc forming that keeps my interest. But I would hope that in the second book, Sytes tightens up the focus, narrows down the themes and explores them more thoroughly and makes more of an effort to connect the protag to the reader.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go have a cold shower before my testicles explode like eggs in the microwave.
So let's unpack this. In the world of Set Sytes, the Earth we know of is only one of thousands in a string of multi-dimensional Earths that are the same in principle but varied enough from one another. In the case of Earth 706, the world has purple skies, humans with grey skin, and technology on par with America's Wild West. And every so often, the overseers of the Earths pull some Dark City shenanigans and mess around with minor aspects of the worlds for scientific curiosity and shits and giggles. Except this time, one of their experiments went awry with a human mind from our Earth being transplanted into the body of a man on Earth 706.
A man by the name of Jay Wulf; murderer, gunfighter and all around hornbag. And suddenly this unnamed bloke has to work out what the fuck happened to him. At least, that's the idea. It also sounds like a mouthful to swallow but honestly, the initial premise only occupies the first chapter of the book, after which the story follows Jay as the new passenger inside his head tries to acclimatize to his new life and new identity.
Right from the start there is something engaging about the world that Sytes has put together here. On the surface it feels like an alien world with its strange sights, alien skies and bizarre people. But beneath that surface there is just enough of a semblance to our own reality that it feels wrong in an unsettling way. The writing is decent with a subtle shade of purple that doesn't feel too complicated or abstract. I kind of get the impression Sytes takes cues from China Mieville in his style and if that's the case, I can appreciate it. The book also has a couple of interesting twists that are decently executed to the extent that they felt like a pleasant surprise and not a slap in the face and in hindsight I could see making sense.
The characters we follow through the story are a mixed bag, ranging from interesting to meh with the two standouts being Wulf himself and the Dotha warrior woman Savvi. Wulf really does feel like a mixture of two personas fighting it out inside a single body with the unnamed human protag functioning as the soft spoken polite Yin to the actual Wulf's wild impulsive Yang. Savvi is probably the highlight of the book; a wild, crass, hard-drinking, bloodthirsty bitch who makes no bones about her life and behaviour. She is who she is and revels in it. But Sytes also takes time to show that she's not just a one-trick-pony with some moments that show beneath the scarred exterior is a broken woman with a death wish. The two weak links are sadly the two figures around which the plot seems to function; Alexia Slade and her retainer Dol Sander. Alexia initially comes across as a rebellious daughter to a stuck up father, but then her father dies and suddenly she becomes this support figure to Wulf in trying to just get away from her pain and leave her life behind and honestly, she just didn't have enough personality to carry herself. Dol Sander meanwhile is kind of a stone block with their two defining traits being loyalty to Alexia and being a hermaphrodite. That's it. The character has very little in terms of actual presence other than being Alexia's shadow/guide.
In fact a lot of the story feels like that; a lot of good ideas that in theory could fit together well if implemented correctly, but in practice fail to work because of wasted potential. The book is split into two parts with the first half of the story being the protag waking up in the body of Wulf, finding his bearings, meeting Savvi and Alexia, leaving the town of Nowhere with Alexia to just wander the wastes then meeting Dol Sander. The second half however almost completely throws that initial premise aside when the overseer that fucked up the reality swapping comes down to Earth 706 to take down Wulf and kidnaps Alexia. That's pretty much it.
In fact the whole book feels like a lot of wasted potential. The initial idea of multi-dimensional Earths feels more like a reason to execute the plot rather than a way to develop the world/setting. We never actually learn the protagonist's name or anything about his former life, so there was some disconnect when I was reading his identity crisis moments, because I had no reason to care. I was reading about Wulf, not the human being occupying his mind. The love story angle blossoming between Wulf and Alexia felt kind of stiff and forced with only a few conversations between them before the L-word was finally dropped towards the end. After the initial setup, the whole first half of the book just kind of meanders about while Sytes introduces the protag and the reader to the world with no real payoff. The second half became one big chase/fight sequence, a fight I might add that resolves a lot of the bodyswap things in a really anti-climactic way. And that ending....what the fuck was that? I love me some surrealist Salvador Dali shit but that felt more like a string of word salad that I had no connection to at all.
The strange thing is, I still kind of want to read the second book. Like I said, there is potential here and I do see something of a myth arc forming that keeps my interest. But I would hope that in the second book, Sytes tightens up the focus, narrows down the themes and explores them more thoroughly and makes more of an effort to connect the protag to the reader.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go have a cold shower before my testicles explode like eggs in the microwave.
June 6, 2018
I enjoyed it! It was like reading and watching anime at the same time.
September 10, 2017
Man, I loved this book! The world of Earth-706 was so complex and fascinating, and yet there were none of the heavy-handed infodumps that seem to come up in space operas. The author had the reins firmly in hand the whole ride, staying patient, and forcing the reader to explore this new world along with whoever this is whose mind is now trapped in Jay Wulf's body—an experience that was equal parts infuriating (because of acquaintances who refused to believe that he had no idea who or where he was and frequently left him alone without explanation or help) and amazing (because of those same acquaintances). And Earth-706 is no cakewalk. It's a harsh landscape of wastes, mountains, volcanoes, and grasslands, most of which have run red with blood during one war or another, and all of which will chew soft-footed travelers up and spit them out.
And while the world was amazing, the characters were what really did it for me. They were such a beautiful combination of blunt force trauma (usually upside Jay's head) and finely honed blades that slip between ribs when least expected. Saavi and Dol Sander in particular are going to stay with me for a long time, though I think we're going to see more of what Alexia is made of in Book Two. Hopefully we'll also unravel a few more of the mysteries of the man, myth, and much-hated legend, Jay Wulf. I can't wait!
So, if you like your westerns mean as hell and steeped in the fantastic with mind-bending trips between realities, then what are you waiting for? This is the book for you.
And while the world was amazing, the characters were what really did it for me. They were such a beautiful combination of blunt force trauma (usually upside Jay's head) and finely honed blades that slip between ribs when least expected. Saavi and Dol Sander in particular are going to stay with me for a long time, though I think we're going to see more of what Alexia is made of in Book Two. Hopefully we'll also unravel a few more of the mysteries of the man, myth, and much-hated legend, Jay Wulf. I can't wait!
So, if you like your westerns mean as hell and steeped in the fantastic with mind-bending trips between realities, then what are you waiting for? This is the book for you.
October 7, 2017
Disturbing Fantasy Western Sci-fi Remains Inscrutable
I really don't understand this book. I read it twice, and I really don't understand what the author was describing or where the story was going. Some parts of the story seem like a dream, and, reflecting on the book, it *could* be written as a "magical reality" novel. But even that is a guess.
The book ended, but the story just hung in midair. "End of part 1". I really hate that. If you are looking for a "magical reality" sci-fi dream state fantasy novel, this might be the book for you. It certainly was not for me.
I really don't understand this book. I read it twice, and I really don't understand what the author was describing or where the story was going. Some parts of the story seem like a dream, and, reflecting on the book, it *could* be written as a "magical reality" novel. But even that is a guess.
The book ended, but the story just hung in midair. "End of part 1". I really hate that. If you are looking for a "magical reality" sci-fi dream state fantasy novel, this might be the book for you. It certainly was not for me.
March 23, 2020
Wulf
By Set Sytes
This unusual take on the "portal fantasy" genre sees a... Person? An unidentified man from what I assume is our Earth get soul-shifted to another, wildly different Earth in a the frame similar to the American old West. The man wakes up in the body of Jay Wulf, a killer and horndog. And then he goes off and kills price and wrestles with his libido.
This novel is weird. Not in the genre "weird" sense, but in the sense of, I'm not sure what's going on here?
There really isn't a plot, just a bunch of stuff happening. The characters don't seem to have motivation for what they do, they just kind of do it. There are all these threads (celestial robots?) that don't go anywhere or make any sense. And the ending just erases all the stuff that came before, basically.
But at the same time, there's something compelling here. There are some dazzlingly good sentences, and well written dialog. The world is interesting and hints at intense possibilities. But all of those lovely prefecture aren't out together into what I'd call a story.
I think this is could have been dynamite with a really good editor, someone who could pick out the broken bits and tighten the leftovers pieces into a running engine, but at it is, it's just some interesting stuff happening.
By Set Sytes
This unusual take on the "portal fantasy" genre sees a... Person? An unidentified man from what I assume is our Earth get soul-shifted to another, wildly different Earth in a the frame similar to the American old West. The man wakes up in the body of Jay Wulf, a killer and horndog. And then he goes off and kills price and wrestles with his libido.
This novel is weird. Not in the genre "weird" sense, but in the sense of, I'm not sure what's going on here?
There really isn't a plot, just a bunch of stuff happening. The characters don't seem to have motivation for what they do, they just kind of do it. There are all these threads (celestial robots?) that don't go anywhere or make any sense. And the ending just erases all the stuff that came before, basically.
But at the same time, there's something compelling here. There are some dazzlingly good sentences, and well written dialog. The world is interesting and hints at intense possibilities. But all of those lovely prefecture aren't out together into what I'd call a story.
I think this is could have been dynamite with a really good editor, someone who could pick out the broken bits and tighten the leftovers pieces into a running engine, but at it is, it's just some interesting stuff happening.
June 5, 2020
So, I enjoyed this book. But not form the vey beginning.
But as the once famous Jack the Ripper said, let's go by parts.
After a prologue (which I will get into later) the book starts in medias res and we are, along with the MC, suddenly in the body of this Jay Wulf who is about to get his head blown off by some bandits in the desert. This is good because it gives us lots of questions that will hook us into the book: Why are we about to die? Where are we? Why are we here?
But all this questions could be answered with this one: Who is Jay Wulf?
(Now this is where I get to talk about the characters...)
So, Jay Wulf seems to be a complete bastard. He drinks, fucks, kills and just about seems to spend his life living one day at a time but he is nowhere to be found. And here lays one of the complains that I have with the book, Jay Wulf isn't really a character. At least not since the mindswap. The thing is that the mind of our MC comes from our Earth (or at least a version of it) and has replaced the OG Jay Wulf, altering both minds in the process.
Now, Set Styles here tells us that the mindswap has caused that the MC neither has clarity on his own previous life or OG Jay's because the two of them are "merging". That is good and all, but I think here the author has lost a potential point of drama and developing both Jays, because with this solution we don't get neither a character developmente from:
New Jay: he does not get to long for his lost life. Hell he doesn't even get to remember his name. I get what he was going for but I don't think it was a good decision.
OG Jay: He doesn't even stick around in the mind, the process only left a remnant of who he was but nothing that actually proactive for him to manifest himself, no thoughts left. Only memories (barely accesible), and that isn't enough for me to feel a character.
Which leaves us with the Jay Wulf that we have. Now I don't think he is a bad character, he has a personality; he is funny, cocky, horny as fuck, sometimes insecure about what has happened to him... And he has meaningful relationships with the people he is with. But I think a lot of potential has been lost for further enjoying him.
The other main problem I have with him is his inconsistence. I know what the author went for: because he is two different persons he has moments where he can be more OG or MC Jay, but it felt lees organic and more a tool for what the author felt like he should be acting. Nonetheless, it's a really difficult idea and I praise him for what he weas trying to go for.
What I can't praise is the next character.
Savvi: Now, I play around with her. I didn't like her, she is cocky, ironic, sarcastic and mean. And I grew tired of her the fifth time she answered the same way, insulting and always abrasive to the other character. And that's it, that's her for like 70% of the book. Now does she have anything that justifies it? Yes, a little cliché but I don't mind, I like that one where someone has gone through hell when younger and now is releasing all the hatred to the world. With her, though, felt obvious and didn't really justify her being a dick throughout the book.
Now, she did grow a little bit on me towards the end, when she had more going for her than just being abrasive to every one.
But I have one more complain of her, that permeates through the book. Sexuality.
So I think that one of the first things that we get to know of her is the shape of her boobs and her ass, (I don't even think that is until the third part that we get a chapter where her body is described to the reader) and that is not a thing exclusive to this character, every other female character is described with an inherent focus on her body while no male characters get the same treatment.
Now I know this could be explained because we see through Jay eyes and he is a horny motherfucker, but when the other female characters that are not integral to the history are hookers or get fucked by the MC. Well, then I don't know anymore beacause then we have a character that describes himself as nonbinary and hermaphrodite... And then a scene in which the MC starts to analize his penis (which can fucking bend??) and WTF is going on. I don't know, I can't wrap my head around this issue, I would need to keep reading more books of his to figure out this issue. But as of now I will consider it an issue.
Then we have Alexia.
The romantic interest of Jay Wulf doesn't have much going for her. It is, by no means, a bad character. But I think she needs to get more fleshed out (hope she just doesn't get to be the damsel in distress, because on the note of how the book ended maybe that's the path for her) given that the only major point she gets in the story is the death of her father and nothing much comes out of it.
As for the story, it ain't nothing new, doesn't reinvent the wheel. But it's fun and reads really well.
Now two more things to add:
I really enjoyed all the idea behind the cave, with the first inhabitants of the world and the lore. Really felt as something real and I loved that part.
I also missed some more description (I really loved the p
urple sky and the aesthetic it would give) of the world and the cultures, how the buildings are...
All around I think it's a good book with really promising concepts that could go really far, but some things prevent it from higher levels. I hope to keep reading and seeing the author improve.
Over all: 3.75.
But as the once famous Jack the Ripper said, let's go by parts.
After a prologue (which I will get into later) the book starts in medias res and we are, along with the MC, suddenly in the body of this Jay Wulf who is about to get his head blown off by some bandits in the desert. This is good because it gives us lots of questions that will hook us into the book: Why are we about to die? Where are we? Why are we here?
But all this questions could be answered with this one: Who is Jay Wulf?
(Now this is where I get to talk about the characters...)
So, Jay Wulf seems to be a complete bastard. He drinks, fucks, kills and just about seems to spend his life living one day at a time but he is nowhere to be found. And here lays one of the complains that I have with the book, Jay Wulf isn't really a character. At least not since the mindswap. The thing is that the mind of our MC comes from our Earth (or at least a version of it) and has replaced the OG Jay Wulf, altering both minds in the process.
Now, Set Styles here tells us that the mindswap has caused that the MC neither has clarity on his own previous life or OG Jay's because the two of them are "merging". That is good and all, but I think here the author has lost a potential point of drama and developing both Jays, because with this solution we don't get neither a character developmente from:
New Jay: he does not get to long for his lost life. Hell he doesn't even get to remember his name. I get what he was going for but I don't think it was a good decision.
OG Jay: He doesn't even stick around in the mind, the process only left a remnant of who he was but nothing that actually proactive for him to manifest himself, no thoughts left. Only memories (barely accesible), and that isn't enough for me to feel a character.
Which leaves us with the Jay Wulf that we have. Now I don't think he is a bad character, he has a personality; he is funny, cocky, horny as fuck, sometimes insecure about what has happened to him... And he has meaningful relationships with the people he is with. But I think a lot of potential has been lost for further enjoying him.
The other main problem I have with him is his inconsistence. I know what the author went for: because he is two different persons he has moments where he can be more OG or MC Jay, but it felt lees organic and more a tool for what the author felt like he should be acting. Nonetheless, it's a really difficult idea and I praise him for what he weas trying to go for.
What I can't praise is the next character.
Savvi: Now, I play around with her. I didn't like her, she is cocky, ironic, sarcastic and mean. And I grew tired of her the fifth time she answered the same way, insulting and always abrasive to the other character. And that's it, that's her for like 70% of the book. Now does she have anything that justifies it? Yes, a little cliché but I don't mind, I like that one where someone has gone through hell when younger and now is releasing all the hatred to the world. With her, though, felt obvious and didn't really justify her being a dick throughout the book.
Now, she did grow a little bit on me towards the end, when she had more going for her than just being abrasive to every one.
But I have one more complain of her, that permeates through the book. Sexuality.
So I think that one of the first things that we get to know of her is the shape of her boobs and her ass, (I don't even think that is until the third part that we get a chapter where her body is described to the reader) and that is not a thing exclusive to this character, every other female character is described with an inherent focus on her body while no male characters get the same treatment.
Now I know this could be explained because we see through Jay eyes and he is a horny motherfucker, but when the other female characters that are not integral to the history are hookers or get fucked by the MC. Well, then I don't know anymore beacause then we have a character that describes himself as nonbinary and hermaphrodite... And then a scene in which the MC starts to analize his penis (which can fucking bend??) and WTF is going on. I don't know, I can't wrap my head around this issue, I would need to keep reading more books of his to figure out this issue. But as of now I will consider it an issue.
Then we have Alexia.
The romantic interest of Jay Wulf doesn't have much going for her. It is, by no means, a bad character. But I think she needs to get more fleshed out (hope she just doesn't get to be the damsel in distress, because on the note of how the book ended maybe that's the path for her) given that the only major point she gets in the story is the death of her father and nothing much comes out of it.
As for the story, it ain't nothing new, doesn't reinvent the wheel. But it's fun and reads really well.
Now two more things to add:
I really enjoyed all the idea behind the cave, with the first inhabitants of the world and the lore. Really felt as something real and I loved that part.
I also missed some more description (I really loved the p
urple sky and the aesthetic it would give) of the world and the cultures, how the buildings are...
All around I think it's a good book with really promising concepts that could go really far, but some things prevent it from higher levels. I hope to keep reading and seeing the author improve.
Over all: 3.75.
April 12, 2020
Ever have a taste for something familiar yet a bit quirkey? WULF is what you need. One of the things that caught my attention was the authors attention to detail in the traditional forms from classic sci-fi that were used. Love Wulf, love the rest of the characters, love the philosophical questions that everyone, no matter sentient species, eventually asks itself...and the answers. Highly recommended.
May 3, 2020
This book took me completely by surprise, in a great way.
I will say that the overall story was a bit lacking. The beginning and the ending were interesting and moved the plot along quite well but the middle was fairly plodding and didn't really go anywhere.
Where this really shined were its world building and characters. Set Sytes did an amazing job introducing a varied cast of unique, different and interesting characters all with different personalities and motivations. He also painted gorgeous pictures of the world around them that they were traveling in. And he did that without getting into the purple prose world.
The description 'A weird west sci-fantasy' hits this novel on the head. It perfectly fills a great fantasy world with the gratuitous sex and violence you would expect from a wild west story, although it strays a little bit too far into campy territory sometimes.
The overarching plot of the series was introduced fairly well and intriguing although I found it a bit convoluted and difficult to fully understand. Hopefully the picture gets clearer throughout the sequels.
I will say that the overall story was a bit lacking. The beginning and the ending were interesting and moved the plot along quite well but the middle was fairly plodding and didn't really go anywhere.
Where this really shined were its world building and characters. Set Sytes did an amazing job introducing a varied cast of unique, different and interesting characters all with different personalities and motivations. He also painted gorgeous pictures of the world around them that they were traveling in. And he did that without getting into the purple prose world.
The description 'A weird west sci-fantasy' hits this novel on the head. It perfectly fills a great fantasy world with the gratuitous sex and violence you would expect from a wild west story, although it strays a little bit too far into campy territory sometimes.
The overarching plot of the series was introduced fairly well and intriguing although I found it a bit convoluted and difficult to fully understand. Hopefully the picture gets clearer throughout the sequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2019
Publisher’s Description: What would you do if you woke up on another planet, in someone else’s body, with a gun to your head? Jay Wulf (as people keep calling him) is having a bad day. Rescued from imminent execution by the fiercely independent Savvi, he soon finds himself left alone to understand and survive the frontier perils of a savage new world.
This was a fun read with likeable characters and an interesting story. I have never read a Sci-Fantasy Western but I guess I am a fan now.
This is a different kind of tale but, in that difference, lies a really fascinating story. It is well written with some rather “juicy” language, but all in the expected places and not just to be crude. Very enjoyable read!
This was a fun read with likeable characters and an interesting story. I have never read a Sci-Fantasy Western but I guess I am a fan now.
This is a different kind of tale but, in that difference, lies a really fascinating story. It is well written with some rather “juicy” language, but all in the expected places and not just to be crude. Very enjoyable read!
June 16, 2018
One very strange, but oh so enjoyable story
This is an utterly different kind of tale but, in that difference, lies a really fascinating story. Well written and free of those pesky typos...alright, some rather “juicy” language, but all in the expected places and not just to be crude. Wonderful read!
This is an utterly different kind of tale but, in that difference, lies a really fascinating story. Well written and free of those pesky typos...alright, some rather “juicy” language, but all in the expected places and not just to be crude. Wonderful read!
June 15, 2018
A new and enjoyable story
A different and enjoyable story. Full of unusual people with a collection of anti heros. Well worth reading. Even in conflicts there can be friendships of a sort.
A different and enjoyable story. Full of unusual people with a collection of anti heros. Well worth reading. Even in conflicts there can be friendships of a sort.
November 6, 2018
Slow starter
Had a hard time staying interested at first, but it picked up and held my interest. Good story, but it ended in a cliff hanger and I'm not sure I'm interested enough to read the next book in the series.
Had a hard time staying interested at first, but it picked up and held my interest. Good story, but it ended in a cliff hanger and I'm not sure I'm interested enough to read the next book in the series.
May 2, 2019
I rarely rate any book five stars, but I did for this one. It held my interest throughout. And while it contained a lot of profanity, the cursing worked in this book. I've read many books which would have worked just as well without the swear words. Here they were integral to the characters.
May 1, 2020
Review of: A Wierd West Sci-Fantasy Book 1
Where says it all. Interesting, but confusing, in a nutshell. Some of time I was praising the author and other times cussing the author for jumping tracks and confusing the reader.
Where says it all. Interesting, but confusing, in a nutshell. Some of time I was praising the author and other times cussing the author for jumping tracks and confusing the reader.
September 18, 2020
WAIT! Read This! and you'll be glad you did
It snagged me from the start. Do you like vivid imaginary landscapes Set Sites can paint them with words. Fracking weird and unusual yet perfect. like a good BBQ rib, you won't want to put it down.
It snagged me from the start. Do you like vivid imaginary landscapes Set Sites can paint them with words. Fracking weird and unusual yet perfect. like a good BBQ rib, you won't want to put it down.
April 28, 2022
I recommend india bones as well.
This author writes with a frenetic, feverish intensity. Feels like a western version of elric. Some of the science seems unnecessary? Slade will perhaps explain that.
This author writes with a frenetic, feverish intensity. Feels like a western version of elric. Some of the science seems unnecessary? Slade will perhaps explain that.
March 17, 2018
Pretty good
A little strange, but not weird strange, just different. I was kind of expecting something a little darker and more twisted. It's not a bad little book.
A little strange, but not weird strange, just different. I was kind of expecting something a little darker and more twisted. It's not a bad little book.
June 11, 2018
Gave up
Made it through the first 15% of the book. Why I’m not sure. Just couldn’t get interested in the characters. Premise sounded good but....
Made it through the first 15% of the book. Why I’m not sure. Just couldn’t get interested in the characters. Premise sounded good but....
August 7, 2018
I liked it. It was somewhat reminiscent of a series of books that I have somewhere around here about a man whose consciousness is transferred to a time when the Mediterranean was a valley.
October 15, 2018
Good Book
This book is really a good different read. Tantalizing you with a great plot and a unique perspective of life
This book is really a good different read. Tantalizing you with a great plot and a unique perspective of life
June 2, 2019
A great adventure tale to start up a mind bending series.
August 21, 2019
This is a brilliant introduction into some crazy original ideas. A real thrill and plenty of mystery to be had.
April 5, 2020
A great start to the Fifth place series, carefully written to not give too much away as you discover more about the world and Jay Wulf the more you read on. Look forward to reading more!
May 23, 2021
Just not for me. I could not get into this story.
July 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this book very much
November 8, 2023
Liked your story!
While the premise of the plot has been done before you have put a fantastic twist to it. I began to really care for the characters. Thank you for your work.
While the premise of the plot has been done before you have put a fantastic twist to it. I began to really care for the characters. Thank you for your work.
January 6, 2024
Great read
Fast paced plot, characters are well written. Looking forward to the next book. I've seldom given a five star rating but feel this deserves it!
Fast paced plot, characters are well written. Looking forward to the next book. I've seldom given a five star rating but feel this deserves it!
January 13, 2019
If you’re into Westerns, or Sci-Fi…or Adventure……or Fantasy…………OR ALL OF THESE COMBINED, this book is a must read for you. It has elements of each of these genres spliced into one action-packed, foul-mouthed, character driven story that was hard to put down. I enjoyed this read so much that I read it in just a few days. I have never read a book quite like it and I think the creativity and the originality of the story is its greatest quality. I will say that it is definitely an adult book with its mature content and F-word laden pages; but this only adds to the book’s “I’ve never read a book quite like it” quality that I enjoyed so much. The author is a trailblazer and definitely needs more recognition for his fictional work, because this is a great read; especially for those ready for something different, something exciting, and something that challenges the archetypes of literary genre.
November 15, 2019
Enjoyable
I really enjoyed this book. It had a certain...charm...to it. My only complaint is that it was really confusing at times. For example, I didn’t know who was speaking sometimes, and some of the descriptions were lacking. It was good though. Different.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a certain...charm...to it. My only complaint is that it was really confusing at times. For example, I didn’t know who was speaking sometimes, and some of the descriptions were lacking. It was good though. Different.
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