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The Crystal Calamity #1
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow
Deadwood meets The Lord of the Rings in this Epic Fantasy of the West!
Hungry darkness, haunted guns, tunnels that move like snakes—the crystal mines of Medicine Rocks, Montana are a place only the bravest and greediest dare. Discovered in 1866, the miraculous rock known as crystal quickly rose to become the most expensive substance on the planet, driving thousands to break the treaties and invade the sacred buffalo lands of the Sioux. But mining crystal risks more than an arrow in the chest. The beautiful rock has a voice of its own. A voice that twists minds and calls unnatural powers.
A voice that turns men into monsters.
Mary Good Crow hears it. Half white, half Lakota, rejected by both, she’s forged a new life guiding would-be miners through the treacherous caves. To her ears, the crystal sings a beautiful song, one the men she guides would gladly burn her as a witch for hearing. So, when an heiress from Boston arrives with a proposition that could change her life, Mary agrees to push deeper into the caves than she’s ever dared.
But there are secrets buried in the Deep Caves that even Mary doesn’t know. The farther she goes, the closer she gets to the voice that’s been calling her all this time. A voice that could change the bloody story of the West, or destroy it all.
Hungry darkness, haunted guns, tunnels that move like snakes—the crystal mines of Medicine Rocks, Montana are a place only the bravest and greediest dare. Discovered in 1866, the miraculous rock known as crystal quickly rose to become the most expensive substance on the planet, driving thousands to break the treaties and invade the sacred buffalo lands of the Sioux. But mining crystal risks more than an arrow in the chest. The beautiful rock has a voice of its own. A voice that twists minds and calls unnatural powers.
A voice that turns men into monsters.
Mary Good Crow hears it. Half white, half Lakota, rejected by both, she’s forged a new life guiding would-be miners through the treacherous caves. To her ears, the crystal sings a beautiful song, one the men she guides would gladly burn her as a witch for hearing. So, when an heiress from Boston arrives with a proposition that could change her life, Mary agrees to push deeper into the caves than she’s ever dared.
But there are secrets buried in the Deep Caves that even Mary doesn’t know. The farther she goes, the closer she gets to the voice that’s been calling her all this time. A voice that could change the bloody story of the West, or destroy it all.
522 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2022
460 people are currently reading
1314 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Aaron
35 books3,038 followersHello, my name is Rachel Aaron, and I write the Heartstriker books, a new Urban Fantasy series about misfit dragons, starting with Nice Dragons Finish Last. I also wrote The Legend of Eli Monpress fantasy series for Orbit Books about a wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and stop him. PLUS I'm also the author of the new, rolicking fun Science Fiction romance Fortune's Pawn under the name Rachel Bach.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 13, 2024
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was another effortless winner from Rachel Aaron, brimming with imagination, wonderful characters and captivating magic.
This was not one of those books which I would have picked up on my own, if it wasn't for the fact that it was written by Rachel Aaron. Set in 1876 Montana, it was a fantasy reimagining of a gold rush amidst the Great Sioux War. I've never been fond or keen on Wild West settings but in the hands of one of my favourite authors it undoubtedly fascinated me pretty darn quickly.
Even from the very first chapter, I was deeply intrigued by the creepy, yet strangely wonderful subterranean world of the crystal mines of Medicine Rock. The titular main character, Mary, was introduced and her voice instantly established being a half white, half Lakota woman who's an outcast in both societies. In these times, being a woman was already tough enough, but Mary was also rejected by virtue of her skin colour. That she led a harsh and cruel life was apparent from her thoughts and mannerisms. However, as she could hear the songs of the crystals, that made her an invaluable guide for men desperate to seek the most valuable substance in the world, the crystals itself.
Meanwhile, I was desperate to uncover the secrets or mysteries behind these singing crystals, which also have incredible powers that could be harnessed into technology. The story which unfolded was predominantly geared towards a discovery that lay very deep into the caves with Mary playing a pivotal role with her ability to hear the crystals. And I was riveted to every turn of the page when the quest for the deep caves ensued.
I've always credited Aaron's ability to be effortlessly engaging in whatever she writes, and this book was no different. Whether it's about a dragon who's too nice, or a thief who could charm prison doors to open up for him, she had always been able to craft stories that I eagerly devoured. Stories of characters that I could relate to or at least empathise with by giving them clear motivations which are consistent with their actions. I sympathise greatly with Mary's plight and it's so inspiring to see that regardless of what she's been through, her compassion and kindness still shone through when people were in need to help. There were three other characters with POV chapters - Josie, Rel and to a lesser extent, Lucas - each of them distinct in their voices which reflect who they were as a result of their backstories. Josie was very much a Rachel Aaron female character - smart, vivacious and has a strength of character that could get her through the toughest odds. Out of the three, Rel was probably the hardest to actually like but also the most compelling of the lot which was all I could say about this character. Lucas had a less major role in the story so far but I hoped to see more of him - a cavalry officer with a checkered past who's not given to the same prejudices of his fellow white brethren.
The magic in this historical fantasy was utterly captivating. Marrying the beauty of crystals with that of songs and music was brilliant and awe-inspiring. There were some scenes in here which seriously made my heart swell and eyes tear up from imagining the sheer beauty and joy present at those moment when crystal song and light came together in a crescendo of magic. Even the weirdness of the caves themselves - with a wandering entity of absolute darkness, tunnels that shift, holes that can appear out of nowhere to trap one's feet, and much more - was just so fascinating to read.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was a fun read that still has its serious and dark moments. Far from being depressing or grimdark, the story struck a good balance of light-hearted entertainment with high-stakes tension, while leaving tantalising trails of possible revelations to come. It's been a while since I've read a new book from Aaron (the last one was a favourite from the DFZ trilogy), who's well-known to publish at least one, if not two books a year. The pandemic has affected everyone in all possible ways, so I'm glad to see that she's back with a new series that's really different from her previous work but yet maintained that approachable and welcoming style of hers which I love so much.
Needless to say, I'm excited to read more in The Crystal Calamity series. Knowing Aaron's writing style after reading all of her works, The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was just the tip of the iceberg and the scope of the larger story is only going to become more incredible.
You can purchase the book from Blackwells | Bookshop.Org | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
4.5 stars.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was another effortless winner from Rachel Aaron, brimming with imagination, wonderful characters and captivating magic.
This was not one of those books which I would have picked up on my own, if it wasn't for the fact that it was written by Rachel Aaron. Set in 1876 Montana, it was a fantasy reimagining of a gold rush amidst the Great Sioux War. I've never been fond or keen on Wild West settings but in the hands of one of my favourite authors it undoubtedly fascinated me pretty darn quickly.
Even from the very first chapter, I was deeply intrigued by the creepy, yet strangely wonderful subterranean world of the crystal mines of Medicine Rock. The titular main character, Mary, was introduced and her voice instantly established being a half white, half Lakota woman who's an outcast in both societies. In these times, being a woman was already tough enough, but Mary was also rejected by virtue of her skin colour. That she led a harsh and cruel life was apparent from her thoughts and mannerisms. However, as she could hear the songs of the crystals, that made her an invaluable guide for men desperate to seek the most valuable substance in the world, the crystals itself.
Meanwhile, I was desperate to uncover the secrets or mysteries behind these singing crystals, which also have incredible powers that could be harnessed into technology. The story which unfolded was predominantly geared towards a discovery that lay very deep into the caves with Mary playing a pivotal role with her ability to hear the crystals. And I was riveted to every turn of the page when the quest for the deep caves ensued.
I've always credited Aaron's ability to be effortlessly engaging in whatever she writes, and this book was no different. Whether it's about a dragon who's too nice, or a thief who could charm prison doors to open up for him, she had always been able to craft stories that I eagerly devoured. Stories of characters that I could relate to or at least empathise with by giving them clear motivations which are consistent with their actions. I sympathise greatly with Mary's plight and it's so inspiring to see that regardless of what she's been through, her compassion and kindness still shone through when people were in need to help. There were three other characters with POV chapters - Josie, Rel and to a lesser extent, Lucas - each of them distinct in their voices which reflect who they were as a result of their backstories. Josie was very much a Rachel Aaron female character - smart, vivacious and has a strength of character that could get her through the toughest odds. Out of the three, Rel was probably the hardest to actually like but also the most compelling of the lot which was all I could say about this character. Lucas had a less major role in the story so far but I hoped to see more of him - a cavalry officer with a checkered past who's not given to the same prejudices of his fellow white brethren.
The magic in this historical fantasy was utterly captivating. Marrying the beauty of crystals with that of songs and music was brilliant and awe-inspiring. There were some scenes in here which seriously made my heart swell and eyes tear up from imagining the sheer beauty and joy present at those moment when crystal song and light came together in a crescendo of magic. Even the weirdness of the caves themselves - with a wandering entity of absolute darkness, tunnels that shift, holes that can appear out of nowhere to trap one's feet, and much more - was just so fascinating to read.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was a fun read that still has its serious and dark moments. Far from being depressing or grimdark, the story struck a good balance of light-hearted entertainment with high-stakes tension, while leaving tantalising trails of possible revelations to come. It's been a while since I've read a new book from Aaron (the last one was a favourite from the DFZ trilogy), who's well-known to publish at least one, if not two books a year. The pandemic has affected everyone in all possible ways, so I'm glad to see that she's back with a new series that's really different from her previous work but yet maintained that approachable and welcoming style of hers which I love so much.
Needless to say, I'm excited to read more in The Crystal Calamity series. Knowing Aaron's writing style after reading all of her works, The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow was just the tip of the iceberg and the scope of the larger story is only going to become more incredible.
You can purchase the book from Blackwells | Bookshop.Org | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
May 30, 2022
Overall rating = 4.5 stars
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I was one of the lucky few to get an early copy of this completely new adventure from Rachel Aaron. First things first, the author describes it as an “epic fantasy of the west”. This should clue you in of the mayhem and magic to expect. This is an alternate history novel in which magic crystals have been discovered in the Montana territory of the nineteenth century. This has led to a crystal rush and these crystals have made men rich while also causing all sorts of issues. I was very gung-ho about this premise when I first got to read a few early chapters back in 2020. The way the story was framed and the settings was so rich that I was hoping that Rachel would explore more. So when she announced that she was releasing this story on June 1st, I was first in line inquiring about an ARC.
The story starts with the titular protagonist Mary Good Crow, she’s a half-Caucasian, half-Lakota guide who helps guide prospectors into the crystal caverns which have been discovered around the town of Medicine Rocks. She’s possibly one of the best guides as she’s able to hear the music of the crystals. However with her gender, comes danger and sexism due to which she has to keep aloof and thus is thought of as being not there completely mentally. Plus she doesn’t want her skills to be revealed and possibly be burned as an witch. We are next introduced to Josephine Price, who has travelled to Medicine Rocks, to claim her rights and she has a plan. The readers also get introduced to Tyrel Reiner, a hired gun with an agenda of his own (but not what you expect). There is one more POV character and a few more characters but I’ll let you RAFO.
For any readers of Rachel Aaron’s work, they know they can expect brilliant and morally good characters, a captivating plot with lots of twists and plenty of fun to be had. This new world that has been created is unlike anything Rachel has written about before. The story is a historical fantasy but in a time and place that we readers have been inundated with due to Westerns (books, movies & TV shows). The story is richly imagined and the author takes extra pains to show us the beauty and ugliness that was historically present in a frontier town. The author however also presents a world that has been upended by the crystals and a world that is a bit more historically accurate while not being grim. This was a huge plus especially as I am sure many readers do not want too much grimness in their fiction nowadays.
Why I thoroughly enjoyed this story is because the world that is presented, is a terrific one. While providing us with the known (western mining town scenario), the author also provides a terrific unknown scenario (the subterranean crystal mines). Most of the story is set in this subterranean world and there are so many wondrous things, which are showcased within. What I also loved was the characters beginning with Mary who’s resolute and honest and just so wonderfully nice. She’s one of the best protagonists that I’ve come across and possibly rivals Julius the nice dragon in being a wonderful champion for all that is nice, kind and just. Next we meet Josephine Price who’s an astute business woman but also brilliant and doing her best to fight the historical attitudes that were prevalent and especially since women weren’t considered equivalent to men. It was refreshing to read about Mary, Joesphine and Lieutenant Jean-Jacques Lucas who are such good characters and so wonderfully nice that they make the story that much enjoyable. In this regards, it is always lovely to read stories where the morally good characters are human and yet strive to be the best and uplift everyone. In this age of cynicism, it's always refreshing to read about such wonderful people who are heroic in the face of adversity and yet so human with their quirks/foibles.
The other POV characters have smaller roles but are equally important and help pivot the plot strongly. Lastly, it’s the minor non-POV character cast with Apache Jake, Volchitsa, Whitman brothers, Bernard Reiner, Mihir (yes you read that correctly) who etch their mark precisely on the story and possibly will have a bigger impact in the sequels. This is another striking feature of Rachel's writing that she writes both the heroic & villainous characters so wonderfully that they are charismatic and believable all the same.
The magic system is a very cool feature as there is a big mystery about the crystals. They have lots of magical features and there are so many additional benefits to them. But only the tip of a myriad magical surface is scratched in this series opener. There is a lot more going on similar to an iceberg and it’s only in the last few chapters do we get an inkling of the entire scope and it is breathtaking. At the very end I do have to highlight Luisa Priessler’s gorgeous artwork which make this cover stand out even more.
This story is set very much the set up and akin to the Lord Of The Rings, it promises to be an epic journey. For me, this book was another ace from a mind of a brilliant writer. Objectively I had very little to complain about it. Yes this book acts like a set up for a bigger story and so there will be some readers who might not enjoy it as much as they have enjoyed Rachel’s previous works. Secondly the ending has a couple of cliff hangers which do leave the readers hanging. Lastly there’s a lot of magic scenarios that aren’t explained and of course readers will have to be patient that the author has a grand plan.
CONCLUSION: The Last Stand Of Mary Good Crow is a fascinating start to a series that is billed as Deadwood meets Lords Of The Rings. I certainly think that is a good way to get people intrigued. I would say that this is possibly the best alternate historical fantasy that you will read and with a subterranean magical world that will leave readers wanting more! If you haven’t pre-ordered it already, get a jump on it. The Last Stand Of Mary Good Crow is a fantastic beginning and once again proves why Rachel Aaron is one of the most versatile writers of the SFF genre.
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I was one of the lucky few to get an early copy of this completely new adventure from Rachel Aaron. First things first, the author describes it as an “epic fantasy of the west”. This should clue you in of the mayhem and magic to expect. This is an alternate history novel in which magic crystals have been discovered in the Montana territory of the nineteenth century. This has led to a crystal rush and these crystals have made men rich while also causing all sorts of issues. I was very gung-ho about this premise when I first got to read a few early chapters back in 2020. The way the story was framed and the settings was so rich that I was hoping that Rachel would explore more. So when she announced that she was releasing this story on June 1st, I was first in line inquiring about an ARC.
The story starts with the titular protagonist Mary Good Crow, she’s a half-Caucasian, half-Lakota guide who helps guide prospectors into the crystal caverns which have been discovered around the town of Medicine Rocks. She’s possibly one of the best guides as she’s able to hear the music of the crystals. However with her gender, comes danger and sexism due to which she has to keep aloof and thus is thought of as being not there completely mentally. Plus she doesn’t want her skills to be revealed and possibly be burned as an witch. We are next introduced to Josephine Price, who has travelled to Medicine Rocks, to claim her rights and she has a plan. The readers also get introduced to Tyrel Reiner, a hired gun with an agenda of his own (but not what you expect). There is one more POV character and a few more characters but I’ll let you RAFO.
For any readers of Rachel Aaron’s work, they know they can expect brilliant and morally good characters, a captivating plot with lots of twists and plenty of fun to be had. This new world that has been created is unlike anything Rachel has written about before. The story is a historical fantasy but in a time and place that we readers have been inundated with due to Westerns (books, movies & TV shows). The story is richly imagined and the author takes extra pains to show us the beauty and ugliness that was historically present in a frontier town. The author however also presents a world that has been upended by the crystals and a world that is a bit more historically accurate while not being grim. This was a huge plus especially as I am sure many readers do not want too much grimness in their fiction nowadays.
Why I thoroughly enjoyed this story is because the world that is presented, is a terrific one. While providing us with the known (western mining town scenario), the author also provides a terrific unknown scenario (the subterranean crystal mines). Most of the story is set in this subterranean world and there are so many wondrous things, which are showcased within. What I also loved was the characters beginning with Mary who’s resolute and honest and just so wonderfully nice. She’s one of the best protagonists that I’ve come across and possibly rivals Julius the nice dragon in being a wonderful champion for all that is nice, kind and just. Next we meet Josephine Price who’s an astute business woman but also brilliant and doing her best to fight the historical attitudes that were prevalent and especially since women weren’t considered equivalent to men. It was refreshing to read about Mary, Joesphine and Lieutenant Jean-Jacques Lucas who are such good characters and so wonderfully nice that they make the story that much enjoyable. In this regards, it is always lovely to read stories where the morally good characters are human and yet strive to be the best and uplift everyone. In this age of cynicism, it's always refreshing to read about such wonderful people who are heroic in the face of adversity and yet so human with their quirks/foibles.
The other POV characters have smaller roles but are equally important and help pivot the plot strongly. Lastly, it’s the minor non-POV character cast with Apache Jake, Volchitsa, Whitman brothers, Bernard Reiner, Mihir (yes you read that correctly) who etch their mark precisely on the story and possibly will have a bigger impact in the sequels. This is another striking feature of Rachel's writing that she writes both the heroic & villainous characters so wonderfully that they are charismatic and believable all the same.
The magic system is a very cool feature as there is a big mystery about the crystals. They have lots of magical features and there are so many additional benefits to them. But only the tip of a myriad magical surface is scratched in this series opener. There is a lot more going on similar to an iceberg and it’s only in the last few chapters do we get an inkling of the entire scope and it is breathtaking. At the very end I do have to highlight Luisa Priessler’s gorgeous artwork which make this cover stand out even more.
This story is set very much the set up and akin to the Lord Of The Rings, it promises to be an epic journey. For me, this book was another ace from a mind of a brilliant writer. Objectively I had very little to complain about it. Yes this book acts like a set up for a bigger story and so there will be some readers who might not enjoy it as much as they have enjoyed Rachel’s previous works. Secondly the ending has a couple of cliff hangers which do leave the readers hanging. Lastly there’s a lot of magic scenarios that aren’t explained and of course readers will have to be patient that the author has a grand plan.
CONCLUSION: The Last Stand Of Mary Good Crow is a fascinating start to a series that is billed as Deadwood meets Lords Of The Rings. I certainly think that is a good way to get people intrigued. I would say that this is possibly the best alternate historical fantasy that you will read and with a subterranean magical world that will leave readers wanting more! If you haven’t pre-ordered it already, get a jump on it. The Last Stand Of Mary Good Crow is a fantastic beginning and once again proves why Rachel Aaron is one of the most versatile writers of the SFF genre.
Read
February 20, 2023I've enjoyed everything else I've read by Rachel Aaron, but unfortunately this one just isn't clicking with me, so I'm going to abandon it.
July 14, 2022
DnF at 25%
The author is trying to be historically accurate, but I think the time has passed for inappropriate racial terms and other slurs and prejudices to be in books of this caliber, especially in fantasy - I will argue to the end there is no room for historical racism in fantasy until I die - thus, I will not be finishing this book at all.
The author is trying to be historically accurate, but I think the time has passed for inappropriate racial terms and other slurs and prejudices to be in books of this caliber, especially in fantasy - I will argue to the end there is no room for historical racism in fantasy until I die - thus, I will not be finishing this book at all.
August 3, 2024
Let's start with the good things, then the bad.
THE GOOD:
- I love the setting and genre mashup of this book! It's a Fantasy Western and it's done so well. It's positioned in a frontier town and the nearby magic creepy cave system
- The characters come from diverse backgrounds, helping each feel distinct and interesting
THE BAD:
- This book is very boring. The scenes/lines/character reactions are highly repetitive, making them quickly get bland even if the setting is very cool
- Some of the twists of this book are intriguing, but they come too late (yes, even the ones only a few chapters in). If the information had been shared earlier, maybe I would have cared more
- All the protagonists are painfully stupid. I am all for the OCCASIONAL entertainingly poor decision to up the stakes. However, this constant foolishness all the time made our heroes a chore to follow
- Nearly every meeting between our protagonists feels like a meet-cute. And then? Nothing happens? No romance? No further flirting? I felt consistently gaslit by this book
One of the most disappointing things is that I adore this author's work generally, just not this novel specifically. And I was so looking forward to it 😞
THE GOOD:
- I love the setting and genre mashup of this book! It's a Fantasy Western and it's done so well. It's positioned in a frontier town and the nearby magic creepy cave system
- The characters come from diverse backgrounds, helping each feel distinct and interesting
THE BAD:
- This book is very boring. The scenes/lines/character reactions are highly repetitive, making them quickly get bland even if the setting is very cool
- Some of the twists of this book are intriguing, but they come too late (yes, even the ones only a few chapters in). If the information had been shared earlier, maybe I would have cared more
- All the protagonists are painfully stupid. I am all for the OCCASIONAL entertainingly poor decision to up the stakes. However, this constant foolishness all the time made our heroes a chore to follow
- Nearly every meeting between our protagonists feels like a meet-cute. And then? Nothing happens? No romance? No further flirting? I felt consistently gaslit by this book
One of the most disappointing things is that I adore this author's work generally, just not this novel specifically. And I was so looking forward to it 😞
January 1, 2023
When I saw new title from Racher Aaron I pre-bought it without giving it a thought. Apparently my mistake.
I can’t really put my finger on it but this book is really off for me. Maybe it’s the ever present greed, brutality or ugliness of that reality, maybe it’s the American history that’s rewritten to fit this alternate world. Maybe it’s the similarity to Crystal Signer by Anne McCaffrey.
All in all it was very disturbing read and to be honest I didn’t want to finish the book. Apparently the crystal is something special and nearly everyone wants to get rich from mining it- without any further thought of consequences or what makes it special. The author knows it’s sentient, the reader knows it’s sentient… but apparently everyone else ignores that possibility, even people who “hear” the song.
I don’t want to know what happens next as I’m pretty sure just more blood and sorrow is for readers in the future.
I’m giving 3 stars not because there’s something wrong with the book, but because I find the story so disturbing and unpleasant.
I can’t really put my finger on it but this book is really off for me. Maybe it’s the ever present greed, brutality or ugliness of that reality, maybe it’s the American history that’s rewritten to fit this alternate world. Maybe it’s the similarity to Crystal Signer by Anne McCaffrey.
All in all it was very disturbing read and to be honest I didn’t want to finish the book. Apparently the crystal is something special and nearly everyone wants to get rich from mining it- without any further thought of consequences or what makes it special. The author knows it’s sentient, the reader knows it’s sentient… but apparently everyone else ignores that possibility, even people who “hear” the song.
I don’t want to know what happens next as I’m pretty sure just more blood and sorrow is for readers in the future.
I’m giving 3 stars not because there’s something wrong with the book, but because I find the story so disturbing and unpleasant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2022
4.5/5
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
THE LAST STAND OF MARY GOOD CROW is a fantasy Western by Rachel Aaron (Minimum Wage Magic). As anyone who knows me can attest, I am a huge fan of Weird Westerns. In addition to writing my own, I'm a huge fan of R.S. Belcher's Golgotha series and the indie Bulletproof Witch series by Francis James Blair. Honestly, after finishing it, I think it is better than all of those books.
The premise is it is an alternate history version of Earth during the Wild West expansion. Rather than gold, the most valuable substance is the mysterious "crystal" that possesses many mystical properties that amount to allowing magic to be used. It is, understandably, sought by many-many prospectors. The town of Medicine Rocks, which is a name none of the settlers understand, is full of fortune hunters willing to do anything to get more of it.Despite the name, the book is actually about three separate women who share the narrative.
The first is the titular Mary Good Crow, a young half-Lakota woman raised by Catholic Nuns and subject to all the racism you would suspect. Mary is capable of "hearing" crystal and serves as a guide through the labyrinthine mines beneath Medicine Rocks. This despite the fact the prospectors are as inclined to cheat or assault her as pay her for her time. Mary is a really nice young woman but a bit too demure and polite, which may be a literal survival mechanism in her case. Those expecting a spitfire with her will be sadly disappointed but the other two more than make up for that.
In addition to Mary, there's also Josie the (seeming) rich girl from back East who is coming to revive her uncle's failing mining business. She wants to become a rich mining baroness and achieve independence but has found the majority of her inheritance has already been stolen by the crooked forces inhabiting this town. Finally, there's Ren, who has allied herself with those corrupt forces but is Josie's only friend. Ren would do anything to find out who killed her family and that includes betray a childhood companion who wants to go into business with her. She's also got haunted crystal pistols containing the ghost of her insane evil wizard father. That's a thing, apparently, yeah.
It is not a romanticized view of the West since much is made of the US cavalry's terrifying effect on Mary Good Crow as well as the fact they fully endorse Custer's cowardly attempt to take the Sioux nation's women and children hostage. That particular event is happening simultaneously with the book and threatens to upend the plot about locating a mother load of crystal. Some people will love the tie-in to actual history while others may feel its in poor taste. I am more of the former than the latter.
Oddly, in addition to the Wild West, the book strongly reminds me of Final Fantasy VII. The harvesting of the crystal is analogous to harvesting mako. Humans and their greed want to rip it from the Earth no matter the cost with devastating consequences. However, it is so useful and powerful that you understand why they're doing it. Certainly, it's the only thing that might help the Sioux stop the genocide of their people. Nevertheless, the book gives a kind of environmentally friendly aesop of, "Don't take the Lifestream crystals from the Earth."
I very much enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this book and strongly recommend it. No one's allegiances are entirely set and the only genuinely good person in the story is Mary Good Crow. Even she has a dark side that she struggles to keep suppressed as a matter of sheer survival. I think fans of the Weird West and urban fantasy both will enjoy this novel.
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
THE LAST STAND OF MARY GOOD CROW is a fantasy Western by Rachel Aaron (Minimum Wage Magic). As anyone who knows me can attest, I am a huge fan of Weird Westerns. In addition to writing my own, I'm a huge fan of R.S. Belcher's Golgotha series and the indie Bulletproof Witch series by Francis James Blair. Honestly, after finishing it, I think it is better than all of those books.
The premise is it is an alternate history version of Earth during the Wild West expansion. Rather than gold, the most valuable substance is the mysterious "crystal" that possesses many mystical properties that amount to allowing magic to be used. It is, understandably, sought by many-many prospectors. The town of Medicine Rocks, which is a name none of the settlers understand, is full of fortune hunters willing to do anything to get more of it.Despite the name, the book is actually about three separate women who share the narrative.
The first is the titular Mary Good Crow, a young half-Lakota woman raised by Catholic Nuns and subject to all the racism you would suspect. Mary is capable of "hearing" crystal and serves as a guide through the labyrinthine mines beneath Medicine Rocks. This despite the fact the prospectors are as inclined to cheat or assault her as pay her for her time. Mary is a really nice young woman but a bit too demure and polite, which may be a literal survival mechanism in her case. Those expecting a spitfire with her will be sadly disappointed but the other two more than make up for that.
In addition to Mary, there's also Josie the (seeming) rich girl from back East who is coming to revive her uncle's failing mining business. She wants to become a rich mining baroness and achieve independence but has found the majority of her inheritance has already been stolen by the crooked forces inhabiting this town. Finally, there's Ren, who has allied herself with those corrupt forces but is Josie's only friend. Ren would do anything to find out who killed her family and that includes betray a childhood companion who wants to go into business with her. She's also got haunted crystal pistols containing the ghost of her insane evil wizard father. That's a thing, apparently, yeah.
It is not a romanticized view of the West since much is made of the US cavalry's terrifying effect on Mary Good Crow as well as the fact they fully endorse Custer's cowardly attempt to take the Sioux nation's women and children hostage. That particular event is happening simultaneously with the book and threatens to upend the plot about locating a mother load of crystal. Some people will love the tie-in to actual history while others may feel its in poor taste. I am more of the former than the latter.
Oddly, in addition to the Wild West, the book strongly reminds me of Final Fantasy VII. The harvesting of the crystal is analogous to harvesting mako. Humans and their greed want to rip it from the Earth no matter the cost with devastating consequences. However, it is so useful and powerful that you understand why they're doing it. Certainly, it's the only thing that might help the Sioux stop the genocide of their people. Nevertheless, the book gives a kind of environmentally friendly aesop of, "Don't take the Lifestream crystals from the Earth."
I very much enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this book and strongly recommend it. No one's allegiances are entirely set and the only genuinely good person in the story is Mary Good Crow. Even she has a dark side that she struggles to keep suppressed as a matter of sheer survival. I think fans of the Weird West and urban fantasy both will enjoy this novel.
Read
December 29, 2023This one is really not my cup of tea.
I tried it several times because I love Rachel Aaron and I read more than 50%, but it never managed to grip me at all.
Perhaps it's the setting, because I tore through By a Silver Thread just fine and it was what convinced me to finally dnf this one.
____________________________
Yay, Rachel is back!
Apparently, this is something completely different (Deadwood meets Lord of the Rings), but I don't care, I trust her to do something fun with this setting. :)
I tried it several times because I love Rachel Aaron and I read more than 50%, but it never managed to grip me at all.
Perhaps it's the setting, because I tore through By a Silver Thread just fine and it was what convinced me to finally dnf this one.
____________________________
Yay, Rachel is back!
Apparently, this is something completely different (Deadwood meets Lord of the Rings), but I don't care, I trust her to do something fun with this setting. :)
dnf
November 21, 2023I usually love Rachel Aaron's books and I even reread some of them. This book, however, wasn't what I was looking for.
I thought this was going to be closer in tone to the her Heartstrikers/DFZ books and that was my mistake. This story has a heavier tone and not in an way that gripped me. The use of racial slurs kept getting me out of the story and I found myself wanting less and less to pick up the book again.
I will skip this series and wait for her next one.
I thought this was going to be closer in tone to the her Heartstrikers/DFZ books and that was my mistake. This story has a heavier tone and not in an way that gripped me. The use of racial slurs kept getting me out of the story and I found myself wanting less and less to pick up the book again.
I will skip this series and wait for her next one.
January 30, 2023
Avis Lecture 🧐 📖 "The Last Stand Of Mary Good Crow", tome 1 de The Crystal Calamity duologie, Rachel Aaron 💎🦅
1866, Medicine Rocks dans le Montana : l'endroit de tous les dangers. La cupidité des hommes a provoqué La Ruée vers le Cristal, la ressource la plus précieuse sur toute la planète. Imaginez, dans cette Uchronie de Fantasy sous fond de western, que les pépites d'or laissent place à des blocs de cristaux magiques ; des cristaux enfouis sous le sol et dans les cavernes sur le territoire des indiens. C'est dans cet univers que nous rencontrons Mary Good Crow, métis Lakota, rejetée par les "blancs" tout autant que par les tribus indiennes. Mais Mary a un don, elle peut entendre chanter le cristal et trouver le précieux minerais. Une compétence qui la place au centre des intrigues de Medicine Rocks...
J'ai trouvé ce roman très original ! J'ai notamment adoré la relation entre Mary et Josie (Josephine) propriétaire terrienne et donc d'un niveau de vie bien plus confortable que notre héroïne. Je trouve le lien entre les deux femmes très bien exploité et je me suis très vite attaché à la bienveillance de Josie. Mary est extrêmement intéressante. Elle se situe à mi chemin de nombreuses cultures. Jeune fille métis indienne, abandonnée dans un orphelinat catholique, la jeune femme a appris à vivre dans ce monde qui la rejette et à se faire discrète. C'est pour moi un des points forts de ce titre : les personnages et leurs liens ! 🤩
Mais le worldbuilding, pour une Uchronie, n'est pas en reste grâce au cristal et ses nombreuses propriétés : amelioreration des armes (flèches mais y compris les armes à feu), contact avec les défunts, soin et médecine, bref les utilisations sont multiples je vous laisserai les découvrir 👍😍
En plus de tout ça, l'autrice ajoute également quelques personnalités historiques au récit, comme le général Custer (coucou Docteur Queen, désolé mais c'était ma première référence 😂). Ces ajouts permettent de donner plus de corps au récit, l'intégrant parfaitement dans notre propre univers. En bref : c'est une très bonne Uchronie !! 💕
1866, Medicine Rocks dans le Montana : l'endroit de tous les dangers. La cupidité des hommes a provoqué La Ruée vers le Cristal, la ressource la plus précieuse sur toute la planète. Imaginez, dans cette Uchronie de Fantasy sous fond de western, que les pépites d'or laissent place à des blocs de cristaux magiques ; des cristaux enfouis sous le sol et dans les cavernes sur le territoire des indiens. C'est dans cet univers que nous rencontrons Mary Good Crow, métis Lakota, rejetée par les "blancs" tout autant que par les tribus indiennes. Mais Mary a un don, elle peut entendre chanter le cristal et trouver le précieux minerais. Une compétence qui la place au centre des intrigues de Medicine Rocks...
J'ai trouvé ce roman très original ! J'ai notamment adoré la relation entre Mary et Josie (Josephine) propriétaire terrienne et donc d'un niveau de vie bien plus confortable que notre héroïne. Je trouve le lien entre les deux femmes très bien exploité et je me suis très vite attaché à la bienveillance de Josie. Mary est extrêmement intéressante. Elle se situe à mi chemin de nombreuses cultures. Jeune fille métis indienne, abandonnée dans un orphelinat catholique, la jeune femme a appris à vivre dans ce monde qui la rejette et à se faire discrète. C'est pour moi un des points forts de ce titre : les personnages et leurs liens ! 🤩
Mais le worldbuilding, pour une Uchronie, n'est pas en reste grâce au cristal et ses nombreuses propriétés : amelioreration des armes (flèches mais y compris les armes à feu), contact avec les défunts, soin et médecine, bref les utilisations sont multiples je vous laisserai les découvrir 👍😍
En plus de tout ça, l'autrice ajoute également quelques personnalités historiques au récit, comme le général Custer (coucou Docteur Queen, désolé mais c'était ma première référence 😂). Ces ajouts permettent de donner plus de corps au récit, l'intégrant parfaitement dans notre propre univers. En bref : c'est une très bonne Uchronie !! 💕
June 21, 2023
I revisited my review after reading the negative reviews based on political views as opposed to any criticism of the prose, storytelling or any relevant element of the book. That I was "Allowed" to view other reviews of this book, must have been an oversight by the Goodreads staff. Those reviewers were the sad members whose views illustrate one of the sources of my distaste for this site. There are others but more of that later. For now I must visit YouTube to fortify my spirit before attempting my rewrite.
This revision is brought to you by channels Annie's Literary Empire, Lily Simpson, Words in Time, Spacedock, Just Write, Spark -History of US Naval Aviation, The Snake Charmer, Books and Lala, Making New Memories, Dr Becky, Dalek 63 88, Widebeam and Wellingtons and an episode of Black Mirror.
There were readers expecting serious action scenes from chapter one but this book whilst it does have intense action in parts is devoted to the characters and the background. The scenes only make sense against the backdrop of that time and place. For that the factions have to be identified first and the major characters introduced with some personal history, which Aaron does nicely.
I gather that some readers fail to realize that for a maid posing as an heiress, an indigenous woman trying to survive in this environment and a hired gun hiding her sex, everyday is an adventure. Failure for the indigenous woman and hired gun, could easily result in a gang rape and murder as a result of a single misstep. For the maid/heiress, failure resulting in prison is likely and the gang rape and murder is also possible. That should be obvious but I realize some readers have no understanding of the brutality of the that society and at that time.
The military is only concerned about the crystal shipments and intervenes in no other activity. The western frontier sheriff is not a Met policeman, who might be subject to a news story and scandal, even if not action by the police command. My impression without having done much research is that those territories had very little in the way of laws as described in a modern industrialised society. While the murder rate was not nearly as high as western films would suggest, it was a very dangerous environment for indigenous peoples and settlers alike. The settlers and US military being the major threat to all, including each other.
Most readers seem to have grasped subconsciously the emotional and social constraints imposed on the three major female characters by their life experiences as female and lacking privilege in that time and place. I think that unless you allow yourself to become immersed in the story, those three characters may seem childish in parts. Given that, I imagine sections of the plot may irritate. I was raised in a large, very large, very poor Catholic family and it was easier for me to understand the lack of opportunity or even horizons. Capitalism damages the entire society but can hobble the working class most brutally.
This seemed a good alternate history. I was not clear at the first reading, if this was a standalone or series. It should have been obvious to me but I have my days. 😑 The last few years sampling the Amazon loan library has without my realizing it, led me to expect very little from science fiction. This reaction apparently extended even to a book by a writer, whose books I knew to be good. I surprised myself. I am looking forward to the answers to many of my questions in the remaining books of the series.
It is valuable to the US government but nothing in the book explains why. It has uses for the Lakota shaman and warrior but the how and why of it is not explained. How was the worth or utility of the crystal discovered? The crystal is possibly the most important character in the book and certainly costars with Mary Good Crow. That makes these questions not of the background but about a main character, who has not yet been developed.
Mary Good Crow has a solid back story. Catholic orphanages and schools were not philanthropic in nature. They were by design and with support of both US and Canadian governments created to destroy ethnic identity, history and culture. This strategy was not limited to Canada, the USA or Australia. Destruction of indigenous cultures was practiced in Europe at least as far in the past as Rome's rise to power. Embrace the Pax Romana or die is a brutally simple but effective conquest policy. The term "Russification" and its history is an interesting read.
Exploring that aspect of her childhood more fully, adds context and depth to her alienation. That would also be a nice offset to the background of her new found friend at the mining company. I think that the world building is the reason that these otherwise good characters seem to float in an almost featureless void. None of her other books suffer from this deficiency.
Since I was Allowed by Goodreads to see reviews for this book, I can speak about several useful posts from other readers. David S Meanderings had a review that is worth a read for his thoroughness. Taylor has a revealing issue with the book. Taylor and some other sad liberals, are not bothered by any lack of world building. Possible depth lacking in some of the characters is not a problem. This book to those readers, is needlessly offensive in representing the odious attitudes and behaviour of white male colonists and soldiers, because it "happened a long time ago". Has Taylor considered organizing a subscription to erect a Cromwell memorial in Dublin. It would be interesting to monitor the response to that effort. After all, it happened even longer ago than the events in this book.
This story is set against the background of the real western colonial continental expansion of the US and their being exposed to the daily reality of the main character is their problem with the book. 🤔 Perhaps, they would do better with a Disney animation (Pocahontas, Songs of the South or some others gem). When might it be time to write a suitably sanitized version of a displaced indigenous heroine? I would say that it is too soon, as long as one native american voice says that they object to their history being sanitized to suit a racist snowflake. That sounds about right. 🤔
Of course, indigenous women in the US suffer some ungodly multiple of the percentage of sexual assaults suffered by any other minority in the present. Perhaps the Taylors imagine indigenous women are predisposed to daily rape and other abuse? 😫 After all, America produced a children's book entitled "Mr. Washington's Birthday", in which happy black slaves struggled to find the "best" birthday present for their wonderful master or some such. I believe that the book is still being used in some american schools with predominantly black or brown student enrolment in the present, even after the scandal was publicized. 😑
I do not attack Taylor. They must live with their reflection. They are a good example of what disturbs me about this site, though. Taylor is the perfect example of the dishonest liberal or the cowardly "let us quiet the crowd" racist. I have gotten unsought comments from both aplenty on my reviews.
No matter, Britain can send Priti the Merciless or Suella Cruella to the states. Either will sort out the surviving natives, if there are any. After which all will recognize the US as the bestest, bigliest, most greatest, pleasantest country in the whole wide world. We are all victims of this social epidemic of racism but not all seek a cure. 🤔 Just something to consider. 😊
I wonder how the Taylors respond to the film "Smoke Signals", Barth's "Sotweed Factor" or the famous painting of the Irish trooper smoking his pipe seated on the body of a indigene (adult man or woman I do not remember). I think that the painting is connected to the massacre at Wounded Knee. Taylor's is far from the worst review that I have read on Goodreads but theirs is also not atypical of US reviewers. Is Taylor's review racist? Yes. Is it acceptable to most readers on the site? Yes. Is it sad? Sadly, yes. 😐 Please do not become a Taylor.
Some of the historical highlights are awesome. The ghost warriors (I think they were called, historically) successfully defeating the US forces was wonderful. The destruction of Custer's command being not a tragedy but comeuppance was satisfying. The real contempt towards the buffalo soldier from white regimental soldiers described in the book was mild compared to their lived experience. The generally racist culture and the inability of colonists to conceive that indigenous culture or sacred sites could have any value beyond the extractive was welcome truth.
Real world background with real world characters interacting with a novel supernatural force was fantastic. I guess you realize that I liked the book. I have given all of her books five stars before this latest. 🙂 It would be nice if most current science fiction writers attempted to write books as interesting but this has not been my experience. I rely on the streaming services for my science and other fiction at present, as the stories are usually better written and more entertaining than the print. Netflix also have a multinational selection that adds extra spice to the stories. 😊
I only began using YouTube in the last three years and only stumbled across the book tubers, while searching science fiction news and discussion channels. I was stunned that there are so many book and literature, as well as other special interest channels on the site. The book channels cover all aspects of the reader experience. 😍 The reader communities fostered are curious, varied in interests and most of all, are enamored of all things bookish. I recommend for any reader a visit to several book channels and have included some channels below. The environments created are exactly opposite lto that of Goodreads. 😊
There are long form video essays and documentary channels on YouTube but I discovered dedicated documentary sites through sponsor spots on YouTube educational channels. Curiosity Stream/Nebula, Magellan TV and Skill Share are a few and all seem worth a look.
I received a comment from Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710, a self-described NeoNazi to my review of Powers of the Earth, announcing that They had "won" (?). It seemed to suggest that his comrades, followers or whatever need no longer flood channels which I list, with disturbing sexual and racist comments. Targeting female creators from teenaged hobbyist to particle physicist was a horrible approach to punishing me. Of course, they some of them used my name, which was clever (?). 🤔
They did succeed in their mission to accurately portray the aggrieved American man-child and the society which spawned them. I suspect that there was a secondary goal to increase the world's store of unpleasantness, in which they also succeeded. 🤔
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Verilybitchie, Tom Nicholas, Red Plateaus, Lorna Jane Adventures, Eileen, Mia Mulder, May, Northern Narrowboaters, Kings and Generals, Owen Jones, Ancient Americas, Real Science, The Science of Science Fiction, JohnTheDuncan, Jean's Thoughts.
As for Amazon, please consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 Minimizing profile information, removing all lurkers and screenshots of the odd and the ugly are useful. Hopefully you will never be targeted by certain members, who are offended by non-white characters on film or in print, female characters portrayed as real woman in any media and expect all fiction protagonists will be white (of limited ethnicity) US cis-males of infinite capability by virtue of gender. This strange cult often identify as libertarian, though the more honest use the NeoNazi or white nationalist label. With support from Goodreads, they apparently have been given license to limit science fiction reviews critical of poor editing, poor plotting, lack of character development, juvenile prose and other deficiencies. 🤗
The corporation feel comfortable in pursuing the same aggrieved white male agenda as that of those members. Violation of laws seems not a consideration. Morality is also an unrecognised constraint, as they are US patriots.
For details, you really must read my review of "Dark Horse", a good space romance by Diener or Powers of the Earth, a pathetic salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran (US veteran, employee of an unnamed US agency, self-described libertarian, supporter of a return to chattel slavery and enjoying some connection to Putin's Russia). Ominous music ends. 🤔
May we all find Good Reading! 😊
I am not a good advisor regarding YouTube channels but the channels below were entertaining and/or useful to me. Some of my favorite channels are.
EarleWrites, Tom Nicholas, The Welsh Viking, Some More News, Second Thought, Owen Jones, Eleanor Morton, Munecat, No Justice MTG, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Noah Samsen, Tulia, Ship Happens, What Vivi did next, Books and Lala, UA Courage, 2Cellos, Philosophy Tube, Sabine Hossenfelder, The Armchair Historian, Ancient Americas, May Moon Narrowboat, Cruising Alba, The Mindful Narrowboat, Awful Archaeology, Crecganford, Books with Chloe, Serena Skybourne, Patrick is a Navajo, Three Arrows, Maiorianus, Timeline, Sort of Interesting, Adam Something, Tibees, Scott Manley, AllShorts, Violet Orlandi, Northern Narrowboaters, Traveling K, Filaxim Historia, Stefan Milo, Ryan Chapman, Elena Taber, Book Odyssey, Lilly's expat life, I'm Rosa, A Life of Lit, Emmie, The Templin Institute, Enby can Read, Jessie Gender, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Carpenter's Daughter, Prime of Midlife, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, Jessica Gagnon, The Piano Guys, Epimetheus, Straight No Chaser, The Gravel Institute, Engineering with Rosie, Mrs Betty Bowers, With Olivia, Practical Engineering, Tiny Wee Boat, Boat Time, Cruising the Cut, A Clockwork Reader, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Danni and Joe, Dr Becky, Pro Robotics, Real Engineering, Then & Now, The Present Past, Eckharts Ladder, Natasha's Adventures, Between the Wars, The Great War, Alt Shift X, Lady of the Library, Lady knight the Brave, Hello Future Me, Kathy's Flog in France, Caucasus Sword Dance, MWG Studios, Books with Emily Fox, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Camper Vibe, Narrowboat Pirate, Malinda, Depressed Russian, Narrowboat Chef, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Meidas Touch, The leftist Cooks, Linguoer Mechanic, Double Down News, Vlad Vexler, Chill Goblin, The Juice Media, Nerine Skinner Comedy, Neringa Rekaslute, Spacedock.
I wish you a good morning, a great afternoon, a splendid evening, a pleasant night and may we all continue learning.
Censorship is a crime, self-censorship a tragedy.
US Senator McCarthy
This revision is brought to you by channels Annie's Literary Empire, Lily Simpson, Words in Time, Spacedock, Just Write, Spark -History of US Naval Aviation, The Snake Charmer, Books and Lala, Making New Memories, Dr Becky, Dalek 63 88, Widebeam and Wellingtons and an episode of Black Mirror.
There were readers expecting serious action scenes from chapter one but this book whilst it does have intense action in parts is devoted to the characters and the background. The scenes only make sense against the backdrop of that time and place. For that the factions have to be identified first and the major characters introduced with some personal history, which Aaron does nicely.
I gather that some readers fail to realize that for a maid posing as an heiress, an indigenous woman trying to survive in this environment and a hired gun hiding her sex, everyday is an adventure. Failure for the indigenous woman and hired gun, could easily result in a gang rape and murder as a result of a single misstep. For the maid/heiress, failure resulting in prison is likely and the gang rape and murder is also possible. That should be obvious but I realize some readers have no understanding of the brutality of the that society and at that time.
The military is only concerned about the crystal shipments and intervenes in no other activity. The western frontier sheriff is not a Met policeman, who might be subject to a news story and scandal, even if not action by the police command. My impression without having done much research is that those territories had very little in the way of laws as described in a modern industrialised society. While the murder rate was not nearly as high as western films would suggest, it was a very dangerous environment for indigenous peoples and settlers alike. The settlers and US military being the major threat to all, including each other.
Most readers seem to have grasped subconsciously the emotional and social constraints imposed on the three major female characters by their life experiences as female and lacking privilege in that time and place. I think that unless you allow yourself to become immersed in the story, those three characters may seem childish in parts. Given that, I imagine sections of the plot may irritate. I was raised in a large, very large, very poor Catholic family and it was easier for me to understand the lack of opportunity or even horizons. Capitalism damages the entire society but can hobble the working class most brutally.
This seemed a good alternate history. I was not clear at the first reading, if this was a standalone or series. It should have been obvious to me but I have my days. 😑 The last few years sampling the Amazon loan library has without my realizing it, led me to expect very little from science fiction. This reaction apparently extended even to a book by a writer, whose books I knew to be good. I surprised myself. I am looking forward to the answers to many of my questions in the remaining books of the series.
It is valuable to the US government but nothing in the book explains why. It has uses for the Lakota shaman and warrior but the how and why of it is not explained. How was the worth or utility of the crystal discovered? The crystal is possibly the most important character in the book and certainly costars with Mary Good Crow. That makes these questions not of the background but about a main character, who has not yet been developed.
Mary Good Crow has a solid back story. Catholic orphanages and schools were not philanthropic in nature. They were by design and with support of both US and Canadian governments created to destroy ethnic identity, history and culture. This strategy was not limited to Canada, the USA or Australia. Destruction of indigenous cultures was practiced in Europe at least as far in the past as Rome's rise to power. Embrace the Pax Romana or die is a brutally simple but effective conquest policy. The term "Russification" and its history is an interesting read.
Exploring that aspect of her childhood more fully, adds context and depth to her alienation. That would also be a nice offset to the background of her new found friend at the mining company. I think that the world building is the reason that these otherwise good characters seem to float in an almost featureless void. None of her other books suffer from this deficiency.
Since I was Allowed by Goodreads to see reviews for this book, I can speak about several useful posts from other readers. David S Meanderings had a review that is worth a read for his thoroughness. Taylor has a revealing issue with the book. Taylor and some other sad liberals, are not bothered by any lack of world building. Possible depth lacking in some of the characters is not a problem. This book to those readers, is needlessly offensive in representing the odious attitudes and behaviour of white male colonists and soldiers, because it "happened a long time ago". Has Taylor considered organizing a subscription to erect a Cromwell memorial in Dublin. It would be interesting to monitor the response to that effort. After all, it happened even longer ago than the events in this book.
This story is set against the background of the real western colonial continental expansion of the US and their being exposed to the daily reality of the main character is their problem with the book. 🤔 Perhaps, they would do better with a Disney animation (Pocahontas, Songs of the South or some others gem). When might it be time to write a suitably sanitized version of a displaced indigenous heroine? I would say that it is too soon, as long as one native american voice says that they object to their history being sanitized to suit a racist snowflake. That sounds about right. 🤔
Of course, indigenous women in the US suffer some ungodly multiple of the percentage of sexual assaults suffered by any other minority in the present. Perhaps the Taylors imagine indigenous women are predisposed to daily rape and other abuse? 😫 After all, America produced a children's book entitled "Mr. Washington's Birthday", in which happy black slaves struggled to find the "best" birthday present for their wonderful master or some such. I believe that the book is still being used in some american schools with predominantly black or brown student enrolment in the present, even after the scandal was publicized. 😑
I do not attack Taylor. They must live with their reflection. They are a good example of what disturbs me about this site, though. Taylor is the perfect example of the dishonest liberal or the cowardly "let us quiet the crowd" racist. I have gotten unsought comments from both aplenty on my reviews.
No matter, Britain can send Priti the Merciless or Suella Cruella to the states. Either will sort out the surviving natives, if there are any. After which all will recognize the US as the bestest, bigliest, most greatest, pleasantest country in the whole wide world. We are all victims of this social epidemic of racism but not all seek a cure. 🤔 Just something to consider. 😊
I wonder how the Taylors respond to the film "Smoke Signals", Barth's "Sotweed Factor" or the famous painting of the Irish trooper smoking his pipe seated on the body of a indigene (adult man or woman I do not remember). I think that the painting is connected to the massacre at Wounded Knee. Taylor's is far from the worst review that I have read on Goodreads but theirs is also not atypical of US reviewers. Is Taylor's review racist? Yes. Is it acceptable to most readers on the site? Yes. Is it sad? Sadly, yes. 😐 Please do not become a Taylor.
Some of the historical highlights are awesome. The ghost warriors (I think they were called, historically) successfully defeating the US forces was wonderful. The destruction of Custer's command being not a tragedy but comeuppance was satisfying. The real contempt towards the buffalo soldier from white regimental soldiers described in the book was mild compared to their lived experience. The generally racist culture and the inability of colonists to conceive that indigenous culture or sacred sites could have any value beyond the extractive was welcome truth.
Real world background with real world characters interacting with a novel supernatural force was fantastic. I guess you realize that I liked the book. I have given all of her books five stars before this latest. 🙂 It would be nice if most current science fiction writers attempted to write books as interesting but this has not been my experience. I rely on the streaming services for my science and other fiction at present, as the stories are usually better written and more entertaining than the print. Netflix also have a multinational selection that adds extra spice to the stories. 😊
I only began using YouTube in the last three years and only stumbled across the book tubers, while searching science fiction news and discussion channels. I was stunned that there are so many book and literature, as well as other special interest channels on the site. The book channels cover all aspects of the reader experience. 😍 The reader communities fostered are curious, varied in interests and most of all, are enamored of all things bookish. I recommend for any reader a visit to several book channels and have included some channels below. The environments created are exactly opposite lto that of Goodreads. 😊
There are long form video essays and documentary channels on YouTube but I discovered dedicated documentary sites through sponsor spots on YouTube educational channels. Curiosity Stream/Nebula, Magellan TV and Skill Share are a few and all seem worth a look.
I received a comment from Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710, a self-described NeoNazi to my review of Powers of the Earth, announcing that They had "won" (?). It seemed to suggest that his comrades, followers or whatever need no longer flood channels which I list, with disturbing sexual and racist comments. Targeting female creators from teenaged hobbyist to particle physicist was a horrible approach to punishing me. Of course, they some of them used my name, which was clever (?). 🤔
They did succeed in their mission to accurately portray the aggrieved American man-child and the society which spawned them. I suspect that there was a secondary goal to increase the world's store of unpleasantness, in which they also succeeded. 🤔
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Verilybitchie, Tom Nicholas, Red Plateaus, Lorna Jane Adventures, Eileen, Mia Mulder, May, Northern Narrowboaters, Kings and Generals, Owen Jones, Ancient Americas, Real Science, The Science of Science Fiction, JohnTheDuncan, Jean's Thoughts.
As for Amazon, please consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 Minimizing profile information, removing all lurkers and screenshots of the odd and the ugly are useful. Hopefully you will never be targeted by certain members, who are offended by non-white characters on film or in print, female characters portrayed as real woman in any media and expect all fiction protagonists will be white (of limited ethnicity) US cis-males of infinite capability by virtue of gender. This strange cult often identify as libertarian, though the more honest use the NeoNazi or white nationalist label. With support from Goodreads, they apparently have been given license to limit science fiction reviews critical of poor editing, poor plotting, lack of character development, juvenile prose and other deficiencies. 🤗
The corporation feel comfortable in pursuing the same aggrieved white male agenda as that of those members. Violation of laws seems not a consideration. Morality is also an unrecognised constraint, as they are US patriots.
For details, you really must read my review of "Dark Horse", a good space romance by Diener or Powers of the Earth, a pathetic salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran (US veteran, employee of an unnamed US agency, self-described libertarian, supporter of a return to chattel slavery and enjoying some connection to Putin's Russia). Ominous music ends. 🤔
May we all find Good Reading! 😊
I am not a good advisor regarding YouTube channels but the channels below were entertaining and/or useful to me. Some of my favorite channels are.
EarleWrites, Tom Nicholas, The Welsh Viking, Some More News, Second Thought, Owen Jones, Eleanor Morton, Munecat, No Justice MTG, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Noah Samsen, Tulia, Ship Happens, What Vivi did next, Books and Lala, UA Courage, 2Cellos, Philosophy Tube, Sabine Hossenfelder, The Armchair Historian, Ancient Americas, May Moon Narrowboat, Cruising Alba, The Mindful Narrowboat, Awful Archaeology, Crecganford, Books with Chloe, Serena Skybourne, Patrick is a Navajo, Three Arrows, Maiorianus, Timeline, Sort of Interesting, Adam Something, Tibees, Scott Manley, AllShorts, Violet Orlandi, Northern Narrowboaters, Traveling K, Filaxim Historia, Stefan Milo, Ryan Chapman, Elena Taber, Book Odyssey, Lilly's expat life, I'm Rosa, A Life of Lit, Emmie, The Templin Institute, Enby can Read, Jessie Gender, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Carpenter's Daughter, Prime of Midlife, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, Jessica Gagnon, The Piano Guys, Epimetheus, Straight No Chaser, The Gravel Institute, Engineering with Rosie, Mrs Betty Bowers, With Olivia, Practical Engineering, Tiny Wee Boat, Boat Time, Cruising the Cut, A Clockwork Reader, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Danni and Joe, Dr Becky, Pro Robotics, Real Engineering, Then & Now, The Present Past, Eckharts Ladder, Natasha's Adventures, Between the Wars, The Great War, Alt Shift X, Lady of the Library, Lady knight the Brave, Hello Future Me, Kathy's Flog in France, Caucasus Sword Dance, MWG Studios, Books with Emily Fox, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Camper Vibe, Narrowboat Pirate, Malinda, Depressed Russian, Narrowboat Chef, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Meidas Touch, The leftist Cooks, Linguoer Mechanic, Double Down News, Vlad Vexler, Chill Goblin, The Juice Media, Nerine Skinner Comedy, Neringa Rekaslute, Spacedock.
I wish you a good morning, a great afternoon, a splendid evening, a pleasant night and may we all continue learning.
Censorship is a crime, self-censorship a tragedy.
US Senator McCarthy
June 13, 2022
Very strange-- and beware of necromancers
The characters are fantastic, the plot twists and turns unexpectedly, but the world itself is undeniably strange.
The story follows four characters: Mary, Josie, Rel, and Lucas. Rel is a woman pretending to be a man--that was very confusing at first. Mary is the guide to whom the crystals sing. Josie is a heiress, after a fashion, who inherits something in the heart of the caves. Lucas is a calvary officer with integrity who gets tangled up with the three women.
This tale involves necromancers and a sort of genus loci, as well as crystal-derived magic. This is an alternative history set in Minnesota during the gold rush--which gave way to the crystal rush. This story touches on the prejudice of the times, especially with respect to Native Americans and those with darker skin. This is not a political rant, just part of the rich historical texture and color of the tale.
It was a fascinating read, yet one I found more than a little disturbing.
I would have loved an additional chapter or two to help resolve things, but that's probably why there's a book 2. Not sure I'll be reading it though. As for why, read on. There may be spoilers though...
‐----------------
I do NOT like books with mind control, loss of autonomy, etc, but that definitely comes into play when we realize that Rel doesn't have a talking crystal gun--she has a connection to her dead father, an untrustworthy and unscrupulous necromancer who eventually gathers enough power to oust her and take control of her body. That is a no-go for me. Evil villians that you can't kill because they are holding people you like hostage inside their own minds and bodies are not my cup of tea. And since he wasn't killed and is holding a main character hostage, you can bet he'll be back.
We did see Mary grow and come into her own a little bit, but the thing she finds in the caves isn't quite a genus loci, it is something stranger and potentially more dangerous that appears to tie into (at least fictional) Lakota mythology. It is this, rather than the beauty of the crystal, that the characters will have to either protect or seek to destroy going forward--again, not a premise that is comfortable for me.
Josie and Mary are likeable that it is tempting to stick around despite the weirdness. Mary is sweet and timid, yet brave and insistent when she believes something is important. Josie is plucky and determined, yet possessed of a kind heart. Trouble will be coming for her, though, as she is packing one whopper of a lie. Rel is in a far worse mess--blending drug use and a revenge kick with an ends-justify-the-means mentality. She would absolutely be a villian if Josie didn't bring out the best in her admittedly conflicted soul. Hopefully that's enough to help you decide if you want to give this a read or not. In summary:
The world building in the caves (mines) is excellent--the world building outside the caves somewhat less so. The characters are phenomenal, major and minor and extremely minor characters all. The magic system is where things get strange--perhaps too strange for me.
The characters are fantastic, the plot twists and turns unexpectedly, but the world itself is undeniably strange.
The story follows four characters: Mary, Josie, Rel, and Lucas. Rel is a woman pretending to be a man--that was very confusing at first. Mary is the guide to whom the crystals sing. Josie is a heiress, after a fashion, who inherits something in the heart of the caves. Lucas is a calvary officer with integrity who gets tangled up with the three women.
This tale involves necromancers and a sort of genus loci, as well as crystal-derived magic. This is an alternative history set in Minnesota during the gold rush--which gave way to the crystal rush. This story touches on the prejudice of the times, especially with respect to Native Americans and those with darker skin. This is not a political rant, just part of the rich historical texture and color of the tale.
It was a fascinating read, yet one I found more than a little disturbing.
I would have loved an additional chapter or two to help resolve things, but that's probably why there's a book 2. Not sure I'll be reading it though. As for why, read on. There may be spoilers though...
‐----------------
I do NOT like books with mind control, loss of autonomy, etc, but that definitely comes into play when we realize that Rel doesn't have a talking crystal gun--she has a connection to her dead father, an untrustworthy and unscrupulous necromancer who eventually gathers enough power to oust her and take control of her body. That is a no-go for me. Evil villians that you can't kill because they are holding people you like hostage inside their own minds and bodies are not my cup of tea. And since he wasn't killed and is holding a main character hostage, you can bet he'll be back.
We did see Mary grow and come into her own a little bit, but the thing she finds in the caves isn't quite a genus loci, it is something stranger and potentially more dangerous that appears to tie into (at least fictional) Lakota mythology. It is this, rather than the beauty of the crystal, that the characters will have to either protect or seek to destroy going forward--again, not a premise that is comfortable for me.
Josie and Mary are likeable that it is tempting to stick around despite the weirdness. Mary is sweet and timid, yet brave and insistent when she believes something is important. Josie is plucky and determined, yet possessed of a kind heart. Trouble will be coming for her, though, as she is packing one whopper of a lie. Rel is in a far worse mess--blending drug use and a revenge kick with an ends-justify-the-means mentality. She would absolutely be a villian if Josie didn't bring out the best in her admittedly conflicted soul. Hopefully that's enough to help you decide if you want to give this a read or not. In summary:
The world building in the caves (mines) is excellent--the world building outside the caves somewhat less so. The characters are phenomenal, major and minor and extremely minor characters all. The magic system is where things get strange--perhaps too strange for me.
September 17, 2022
I wanted so badly for this to be a 5-star read but sadly it wasn’t it for me. I’m a huge fan of Rachel Aaron’s DFZ series and I was so excited about the prospect of a fantasy western story, but this fell short.
Overall, I liked the idea of this book. A gold rush type story but with magical crystals sounds pretty interesting, but I found the magic lacking. It was heavy on the western which I liked, but it was also a little heavy on the racism. I agree with some other reviews that in a fantasy story, it felt wholly unnecessary to maintain the vein of racism that you might expect from more traditional western storylines. It is 2022 after all and it made me cringe a little more every time I read another slur.
I also found it a little confusing how the story jumped around from multiple POVs. I’m usually completely fine with a multiple POV storyline, but it wasn’t always easy to keep up with who’s POV it was. Reading on the Kindle app, I had to keep double checking who’s chapter I was on. Also the writing did change slightly from chapter-to-chapter to match the dialect of certain characters, but it didn’t seem to be maintained as much further into the story which just made it harder for me to keep up.
Honestly, there were moments when I really liked this book and didn’t want to put it down even with the aforementioned issues. But as I got closer to the end, I realized it wasn’t going to wrap up as nicely as I had hoped and it finished with too many unanswered questions for me. I don’t think I have it in me to see if there will be a sequel, and I’ll probably just go back to the DFZ and stories about dragons next time I want a dose of fantasy.
Overall, I liked the idea of this book. A gold rush type story but with magical crystals sounds pretty interesting, but I found the magic lacking. It was heavy on the western which I liked, but it was also a little heavy on the racism. I agree with some other reviews that in a fantasy story, it felt wholly unnecessary to maintain the vein of racism that you might expect from more traditional western storylines. It is 2022 after all and it made me cringe a little more every time I read another slur.
I also found it a little confusing how the story jumped around from multiple POVs. I’m usually completely fine with a multiple POV storyline, but it wasn’t always easy to keep up with who’s POV it was. Reading on the Kindle app, I had to keep double checking who’s chapter I was on. Also the writing did change slightly from chapter-to-chapter to match the dialect of certain characters, but it didn’t seem to be maintained as much further into the story which just made it harder for me to keep up.
Honestly, there were moments when I really liked this book and didn’t want to put it down even with the aforementioned issues. But as I got closer to the end, I realized it wasn’t going to wrap up as nicely as I had hoped and it finished with too many unanswered questions for me. I don’t think I have it in me to see if there will be a sequel, and I’ll probably just go back to the DFZ and stories about dragons next time I want a dose of fantasy.
August 1, 2022
4 stars for the first half of the book, 1 star for the last half. :(
I absolutely loved the ambience of the beginning of the book, and the characters were really interesting. The world building was a lot of show, don't tell, and hinted at a number of things that seemed intriguing, and the caves were so fantastic feeling and menacing.
And then, it all fell apart. No real build to a climax, massive rush to the ending, and the ending was totally flat. It 'explained' some of the hints of before without actually giving any details of anything, and never actually gave any good idea of how crystal as a basis for society worked, how crystal worked, or literally anything.
Alas, because I loved the authors other works, but this is a series that I won't continue.
I absolutely loved the ambience of the beginning of the book, and the characters were really interesting. The world building was a lot of show, don't tell, and hinted at a number of things that seemed intriguing, and the caves were so fantastic feeling and menacing.
And then, it all fell apart. No real build to a climax, massive rush to the ending, and the ending was totally flat. It 'explained' some of the hints of before without actually giving any details of anything, and never actually gave any good idea of how crystal as a basis for society worked, how crystal worked, or literally anything.
Alas, because I loved the authors other works, but this is a series that I won't continue.
April 30, 2022
1876, Montana. But not exactly OUR Montana.
There's a mining rush going on, but not for gold. They're all mad for the newly-discovered "crystal," and the frontier town of Medicine Rocks sits atop a cavern system full of it.
Three women are drawn to Medicine Rocks:
Josephine Price, who wants to fulfill her uncle's dream;
Reliance Reiner, who is willing to go to almost-unimaginable lengths to avenge her family's deaths, including masquerading as a young gunman;
and Mary Good Crow, half-Lakota, who knows her way through the Crystal Caverns well enough to guide others.
The three form a friendship and a partnership. But none of them is exactly what she appears to be ...
There's a mining rush going on, but not for gold. They're all mad for the newly-discovered "crystal," and the frontier town of Medicine Rocks sits atop a cavern system full of it.
Three women are drawn to Medicine Rocks:
Josephine Price, who wants to fulfill her uncle's dream;
Reliance Reiner, who is willing to go to almost-unimaginable lengths to avenge her family's deaths, including masquerading as a young gunman;
and Mary Good Crow, half-Lakota, who knows her way through the Crystal Caverns well enough to guide others.
The three form a friendship and a partnership. But none of them is exactly what she appears to be ...
July 9, 2022
While I loved the premise of this book, unfortunately it turned out to be kind of a slog for me. The first three chapters had me hooked but the next one turned me off. It bugged me to find out two characters whose close POV I had just read in previous chapters had outright lied to the reader--that felt contrived to be a "twist." Then the story just lost steam for me. I found Mary to be annoyingly childish and naive, which got tiresome and made her feel a little like the "innocent, pure Native person" trope. It also seemed like Josie and Lucas had a touch of white saviour complex to them. Don't think I'll continue the series.
August 31, 2022
I love Rachel Aaron's books, and this is another well written novel.
So why did I DNF 75% through?
Too many instances of characters being stupid to help the plot along. Mary, supposedly the central character, is absolutely amazing and I wish the entire story was actually about her. Josie was okay. Rel drove me absolutely insane.
I think a lot of people won't mind the plot convenient stupidity/lack of communication, but it's definitely a pet peeve for me that I feel like the story just doesn't overcome.
So why did I DNF 75% through?
Too many instances of characters being stupid to help the plot along. Mary, supposedly the central character, is absolutely amazing and I wish the entire story was actually about her. Josie was okay. Rel drove me absolutely insane.
I think a lot of people won't mind the plot convenient stupidity/lack of communication, but it's definitely a pet peeve for me that I feel like the story just doesn't overcome.
June 11, 2022
Infuriating through no fault of the author. Although this is a magical version of the Wild West the general attitudes of the Europeans rings depressingly true. Instead of a gold rush we have a crystal rush and the frontier life seems very well depicted to me.
I liked our three protagonists but didn’t love them; however the last few chapters suggest that all three will undergo significant changes in the next instalment.
I liked our three protagonists but didn’t love them; however the last few chapters suggest that all three will undergo significant changes in the next instalment.
June 25, 2022
At first glance, this seems like a crazy departure from Rachel Aaron's usual fantasy and sci-fi. The Wild West? A mining rush? General Custer?! But pretty soon the things we love about Aaron's books are front and center: crazy magic with talking objects, a big cast of complex characters, fast-paced plotting, and an ending that will make you beg for more. New and shiny and classic and fantastic!
June 4, 2022
snappy and fresh.
The new installment from Rachel Aaron is new and complex. You like the good guys, and sympathize with the not-so-good guys. Totally worth a read.
The new installment from Rachel Aaron is new and complex. You like the good guys, and sympathize with the not-so-good guys. Totally worth a read.
June 17, 2022
As I’ve said time and time again, author Rachel Aaron is one of my favorites. She’s on my very short list of authors that I pre-order books for and is always the one I turn to when I need a fun read, as her books never fail to serve as pick-me-up. Despite how much I love the author’s work, I was a little hesitant to pick up The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow as westerns really aren’t my thing. But I needn’t have worried, as like all of Aaron’s books, The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is a unique and fun ride with lovable characters and interesting world building.
I really enjoyed that The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow follows three female characters with very different lifestyles, who wind up in the mining town of Medicine Rocks. Mary Good Crow herself can hear the magic crystals growing in the caves and serves as tour guide into the dangerous mines, though it’s quite risky for her as not only a woman, but also as a half Native American in the late 1800s. Mary is hired on by Josephine “Josie” Price, the sheltered but whip smart heir to a mining fortune, and a notorious gun-for-hire known as Rel, who is also Josie’s childhood friend . There is more to each of these characters than meets the eye, but they manage to form a fast friendship in the face of the dangers of the mine and the challenges of the time period they live in.
Living in the west during the crystal—not gold—rush in a mining town is anything but safe for any woman. It’s especially dangerous for Mary, as racism against Native Americans is at an all time high. Not able to pass for white, and raised by French nuns (the French also aren’t cared for much), Mary lives in the caves, with only the sound of the crystals for companionship, until Josie and Rel come along. Even venturing into town and trying to buy food is enough to get the poor girl shot at it. Josie, despite appearing to be living the high life that comes with money, is very sympathetic to both Mary, and her friend Rel.
The friendship between these three unlikely characters is really endearing to me. Though Mary wants to save the crystals from being strip-mined and destroyed, she still honors her agreement with Josie. And though Rel has more motivation to help his childhood friend than meets the eye, he still manages to keep them all safe. Likewise, Josie Price, who wants to make a fortune off of the crystals, thinks of the pain it will cause her new crystal-loving friend Mary. I immediately was very interested in Josie, who seems very unlike other heiresses to fortunes. And it turns out, there’s a reason for that, which I won’t spoil here, but I wondered at how easily the woman was able to pull off everything she does.
I was really afraid I’d be bored reading a Western, but The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is continually exciting what with its mysteries surrounding the backgrounds and abilities of the characters combined with the strange magic of the crystals and the dangerous and otherworldly caves they reside in, as well as the appearances of historical figures like General Custer. It doesn’t hurt that I can’t help but find the crystals and their magical properties very interesting. In this world, crystals, not gold or silver or cash, are the most lucrative item in existence, and for good reason. People are just discovering all of the possibilities of these items—ingesting them to speak with the dead, to shoot faster or to gain other super powers, or surgically implanting them as rods to save lives, and forging them into stronger weapons.
To the horror of the military stationed at Medicine Rock, the Lakota have been spotted with crystal enhanced arrows and other types of weapons, adding a military fervor in the background of everything else going on in The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow. Though reading through the viewpoint of Lucas, a higher up in the military, was by far the least interesting out of all the perspectives to me, the character is poised to detail the growing tension and hysteria in the armed forces. If the military weren’t stressed enough by their inability to meet their crystal quota and by the fall of General Custer and his forces at Little Bighorn to the Lakota, there’s rumors that the Native Americans have a way of growing crystal, rather than ripping it through the walls and irreparably damaging it like Americans. Throughout the entirety of The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow runs the themes of greed, bigotry, environmental concerns, and manifest destiny.
Plus, there might just be more to the singing of the crystals that Mary hears. And the caves where the crystals grow are anything but typical. There’s an area known as the Dark, which makes it impossible to see or hear anything, and it moves. The rest of the caves seem to never open to the same area twice, and there’s mysterious entities both haunting the caves, sometimes even sabotaging miners hunting for a profit, as well as bandits lurking to steal what others try to haul back to the surface. It’s an entirely different universe in the caves down there, and utterly cool to me that Mary Good Crow has managed to become so at home in such a dark and dangerous place.
In every way, the world of The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is so fascinating and unique, very much like all of the other worlds in author Rachel Aaron’s works. Honestly, I feel pretty silly that I even worried that anything this author had written might not appeal to me, or could ever be boring. I will be purchasing any follow ups to The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow on day one for sure. If you like westerns, alternate history, fantasy, or very unique world-building and magical systems, as well as complex characters, I would highly recommend this novel to you.
“Medicine Rocks is no place for honest men, and speaking frankly, miss, I don’t think you should stay here either. I know this is your inheritance, but between the redskins taking scalps and the bandits taking everything else, this town’s a death sentence waiting to happen. I’m not presuming to tell you your business, but we’d be more than happy to take you back with us to Helena if you want.”
I really enjoyed that The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow follows three female characters with very different lifestyles, who wind up in the mining town of Medicine Rocks. Mary Good Crow herself can hear the magic crystals growing in the caves and serves as tour guide into the dangerous mines, though it’s quite risky for her as not only a woman, but also as a half Native American in the late 1800s. Mary is hired on by Josephine “Josie” Price, the sheltered but whip smart heir to a mining fortune, and a notorious gun-for-hire known as Rel, who is also Josie’s childhood friend . There is more to each of these characters than meets the eye, but they manage to form a fast friendship in the face of the dangers of the mine and the challenges of the time period they live in.
Living in the west during the crystal—not gold—rush in a mining town is anything but safe for any woman. It’s especially dangerous for Mary, as racism against Native Americans is at an all time high. Not able to pass for white, and raised by French nuns (the French also aren’t cared for much), Mary lives in the caves, with only the sound of the crystals for companionship, until Josie and Rel come along. Even venturing into town and trying to buy food is enough to get the poor girl shot at it. Josie, despite appearing to be living the high life that comes with money, is very sympathetic to both Mary, and her friend Rel.
The friendship between these three unlikely characters is really endearing to me. Though Mary wants to save the crystals from being strip-mined and destroyed, she still honors her agreement with Josie. And though Rel has more motivation to help his childhood friend than meets the eye, he still manages to keep them all safe. Likewise, Josie Price, who wants to make a fortune off of the crystals, thinks of the pain it will cause her new crystal-loving friend Mary. I immediately was very interested in Josie, who seems very unlike other heiresses to fortunes. And it turns out, there’s a reason for that, which I won’t spoil here, but I wondered at how easily the woman was able to pull off everything she does.
I was really afraid I’d be bored reading a Western, but The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is continually exciting what with its mysteries surrounding the backgrounds and abilities of the characters combined with the strange magic of the crystals and the dangerous and otherworldly caves they reside in, as well as the appearances of historical figures like General Custer. It doesn’t hurt that I can’t help but find the crystals and their magical properties very interesting. In this world, crystals, not gold or silver or cash, are the most lucrative item in existence, and for good reason. People are just discovering all of the possibilities of these items—ingesting them to speak with the dead, to shoot faster or to gain other super powers, or surgically implanting them as rods to save lives, and forging them into stronger weapons.
To the horror of the military stationed at Medicine Rock, the Lakota have been spotted with crystal enhanced arrows and other types of weapons, adding a military fervor in the background of everything else going on in The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow. Though reading through the viewpoint of Lucas, a higher up in the military, was by far the least interesting out of all the perspectives to me, the character is poised to detail the growing tension and hysteria in the armed forces. If the military weren’t stressed enough by their inability to meet their crystal quota and by the fall of General Custer and his forces at Little Bighorn to the Lakota, there’s rumors that the Native Americans have a way of growing crystal, rather than ripping it through the walls and irreparably damaging it like Americans. Throughout the entirety of The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow runs the themes of greed, bigotry, environmental concerns, and manifest destiny.
“Imagine discovering the most valuable new resource of the century and then ruining the whole thing through your own incompetence?”
“Never underestimate the potency of ignorance mixed with greed,” Rel said, walking through the crack folks had hammered through the rear of the ruined cavern to keep the crystal search going.
Plus, there might just be more to the singing of the crystals that Mary hears. And the caves where the crystals grow are anything but typical. There’s an area known as the Dark, which makes it impossible to see or hear anything, and it moves. The rest of the caves seem to never open to the same area twice, and there’s mysterious entities both haunting the caves, sometimes even sabotaging miners hunting for a profit, as well as bandits lurking to steal what others try to haul back to the surface. It’s an entirely different universe in the caves down there, and utterly cool to me that Mary Good Crow has managed to become so at home in such a dark and dangerous place.
In every way, the world of The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is so fascinating and unique, very much like all of the other worlds in author Rachel Aaron’s works. Honestly, I feel pretty silly that I even worried that anything this author had written might not appeal to me, or could ever be boring. I will be purchasing any follow ups to The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow on day one for sure. If you like westerns, alternate history, fantasy, or very unique world-building and magical systems, as well as complex characters, I would highly recommend this novel to you.
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March 22, 2023
Setting/Worldbuilding: 8/10
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Technique: 9/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 80/90 (4.44)
I’m almost tired of saying it now but YET AGAIN we have another absolutely amazing series from Rachel Aaron, who has long solidified herself as my favourite author by this point.
She knows how to plot, she knows how to create sympathetic characters, she knows how to worldbuild, she knows how to entertain and my golly she knows how to write magic. And by that I don’t just mean her writing is magically good; I mean that she has a particular way of weaving words into her magic that her magic systems feel nothing short of wondrous.
The thing about Rachel is that she obviously writes with very well-used tropes in her head in a way that lends a certain identifiable flavour in her works that pulls her fans together no matter what genre she decides to dabble in. Here we have her writing an alternate history Western fantasy with music-based magic (what now?) but as Rachel fans we see all the elements that make her works what they are: scheming villainous power-hungry parents, found family vibes, epic (in scale and feel) worldbuilding, a distinctly lighter tone in writing, soul possession, serious creationist theories, strong, sympathetic characters and a whacky magic system.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow fits into her repertoire so seamlessly you might almost forget that it was in a whole different genre altogether. I can see a lot of people being put off by the contents of this work though. There is a lot of casual and socially accepted racism at the time that, combined with the slightly irreverent tone of her writing, may see a little disrespectful to some. And for a historical western, her prose has a distinctly modern and fresh feel that may strike history purists as anachronistic.
But if you’re a Rachel Aaron fan, I would recommend you check this out. And meanwhile, I’ll hang around with Rel, Josie and Mary Good Crow and be part of their adventure a little longer.
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Technique: 9/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 80/90 (4.44)
I’m almost tired of saying it now but YET AGAIN we have another absolutely amazing series from Rachel Aaron, who has long solidified herself as my favourite author by this point.
She knows how to plot, she knows how to create sympathetic characters, she knows how to worldbuild, she knows how to entertain and my golly she knows how to write magic. And by that I don’t just mean her writing is magically good; I mean that she has a particular way of weaving words into her magic that her magic systems feel nothing short of wondrous.
The thing about Rachel is that she obviously writes with very well-used tropes in her head in a way that lends a certain identifiable flavour in her works that pulls her fans together no matter what genre she decides to dabble in. Here we have her writing an alternate history Western fantasy with music-based magic (what now?) but as Rachel fans we see all the elements that make her works what they are: scheming villainous power-hungry parents, found family vibes, epic (in scale and feel) worldbuilding, a distinctly lighter tone in writing, soul possession, serious creationist theories, strong, sympathetic characters and a whacky magic system.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow fits into her repertoire so seamlessly you might almost forget that it was in a whole different genre altogether. I can see a lot of people being put off by the contents of this work though. There is a lot of casual and socially accepted racism at the time that, combined with the slightly irreverent tone of her writing, may see a little disrespectful to some. And for a historical western, her prose has a distinctly modern and fresh feel that may strike history purists as anachronistic.
But if you’re a Rachel Aaron fan, I would recommend you check this out. And meanwhile, I’ll hang around with Rel, Josie and Mary Good Crow and be part of their adventure a little longer.
August 23, 2022
I’m rating this because I did make it halfway through before I gave up the ghost. I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because the world building isn’t bad, I just found it incredibly boring and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. (I didn’t necessarily dislike them, but I didn’t connect with them.) The language of the writing is oddly formal and feels off, too. I listened to most of the first half on audio before returning it to Audible and since I wasn’t sure if it was the terrible narrator making me dislike it or the book itself, I borrowed it from KU to give it more of a try. Still couldn’t get into it. Very disappointed because I loved her DFZ series (though I couldn’t get into the Dragon series). Clearly I am in the minority here so if you’re a Rachel Aaron fan, give it a try and decide for yourself.
September 21, 2025
Engaging plot and interesting characters, though there was a lot more "telling" than "showing." This led to some inconsistencies in characterization, as the reader is told a character acts a certain way but is shown them acting differently. That, in combination with the random modernisms inserted in the dialogue (why is the word "welp" included in the first few pages), is why this isn't a higher rating from me.
It's also worth mentioning the large amount of anti-Indigenous slurs throughout the novel, especially in Rel's POV. This is a historical fantasy, so it is technically historically accurate, though I found the frequency to be unnecessary and Rel's racism is never really addressed. This may difficult to read for some, so I thought I'd bring it up.
It's also worth mentioning the large amount of anti-Indigenous slurs throughout the novel, especially in Rel's POV. This is a historical fantasy, so it is technically historically accurate, though I found the frequency to be unnecessary and Rel's racism is never really addressed. This may difficult to read for some, so I thought I'd bring it up.
October 20, 2023
The book "The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow" by Rachel Aaron is set in an alternate history Wild West where instead of gold a valuable magical crystal has been found and mined in deep shifting caves. Set in the area of Medicine Rocks in the desert this "Crystal Rush" gathers all kinds of groups to compete for this precious mineral.
As a huge fan on Rachel Aaron's DFZ series' I wanted to give this a go. The writing and idea were great but the Wild West Story just didn't captivate me. Overall I don't have any specific points to critique- it just wasn't my personal taste.
As a huge fan on Rachel Aaron's DFZ series' I wanted to give this a go. The writing and idea were great but the Wild West Story just didn't captivate me. Overall I don't have any specific points to critique- it just wasn't my personal taste.
September 22, 2022
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is an enjoyable urban fantasy set in 1860s in the Dakotas. It very much has a gold rush theme but with gold replaced by a new substance called 'crystal' - a rock with interesting properties (mostly explosive). The story follows the POVs of three women - each uniquely different and with different objectives and goals. Rachel Aaron's strength has always been her quirky characters and those who have enjoyed her other books should really like this series as well. Note: I listened to the audio book and the narrator had a unique voice that felt right for the characters and setting. It was an enjoyable listen.Story: Three people will meet fate in an outpost fort near Deadwood, South Dakota: Mary (a half Lakota guide to the mining tunnels), Josie (who has come to claim the inheritance of her wealthy but recently deceased mining company owner Uncle), and Rel (who came to the fort to find the murderer of her family). Their paths will cross and each will have their demons and secrets as they must band together and survive the claim of the century.
Each of the main characters has a unique backstory and voice - you will never confuse the characters. Upright Josie, mousy Mary, and vicious Rel each have to survive a fort full of soldiers and men - while also managing to survive in the mines as well. There are several side characters and one male gets a small POV section now and then. But for the most part, we are following the main three and their stories.
There is plenty of action and those who read Aaron know to expect interesting sidekicks and very fun interactions with all kinds of objects. There isn't much 'magic', which I preferred. The story is fairly straightforward mining with a bit of the mystery of the crystal and why it is so desired by the US government and the miners. This first book is about the main characters meeting and then getting to know each other's good and bad parts.
The audio narration was well done. The narrator doesn't do accents well but she had a good sympathetic read for Aaron's style and uniqueness. It was well worth listening to the audio version to really get into the feel of the 1860s and the various characters.
In all, an enjoyable romp as always from Rachel Aaron.
December 7, 2022
I was hoping to buy a physical copy of this book but it kind of fizzled out a little for me. I’m not sure but I think it was the length of the book at this time with me trying to get a lot read before the new year.
When the next book comes out, if I love it then I’ll get them in physical copies because I really do love the characters and craziness of the story
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
When the next book comes out, if I love it then I’ll get them in physical copies because I really do love the characters and craziness of the story
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
August 3, 2022
Mary Good Crow is a Lakota woman living in the frontier mining town of Medicine Rocks. She makes her living as a guide to miners, showing them through the dangerous underground tunnels and caves that yield precious crystals that can offer magical power or corrupt from within. Mary faces cruelty and prejudice from the settlers who are exploiting her people's lands, but she also has a unique power: she can hear the crystal singing. When a wealthy woman named Josie hires Mary as a guide, it's not just her life that could change forever.
This is a brilliantly conceived alternate history with magic woven into its core. It deals with a number of painful historical issues with care, and yet manages to remain an ultimately hopeful and uplifting story. The ending is so incredibly satisfying and clever I almost want to spoil it right now.
The book is also very atmospheric. The WIld West setting is a familiar one, and it's captured beautifully here. But I also want to shout-out the depiction of the caves. I am super super claustrophobic--I can't even watch TV shows if they go underground--and I was impressed by the way that Aaron managed to evoke the beauty and wonder of the caves alongisde their danger in a way that didn't have me starting to hyperventilate.
I also want to give a shout-out to my favorite character, Josie. Josie is a white woman from a background of privilege, and that shows in many of her actions throughout the book, while still having a good heart and wanting to do what is right. There is a realistic balance of her moments of cluelessness, some times when she acts in ignornace in a way that is hurtful, and her constant attempts to do what is right. She's brave, independent, and able to look beyond her society's stereotypes of both herself and others. Her developing friendship with Mary is wonderful, and it's nice to read a book anchored in people who are truly good.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's innovative, thoughtful, well-written, and completely satisfying to read.
This is a brilliantly conceived alternate history with magic woven into its core. It deals with a number of painful historical issues with care, and yet manages to remain an ultimately hopeful and uplifting story. The ending is so incredibly satisfying and clever I almost want to spoil it right now.
The book is also very atmospheric. The WIld West setting is a familiar one, and it's captured beautifully here. But I also want to shout-out the depiction of the caves. I am super super claustrophobic--I can't even watch TV shows if they go underground--and I was impressed by the way that Aaron managed to evoke the beauty and wonder of the caves alongisde their danger in a way that didn't have me starting to hyperventilate.
I also want to give a shout-out to my favorite character, Josie. Josie is a white woman from a background of privilege, and that shows in many of her actions throughout the book, while still having a good heart and wanting to do what is right. There is a realistic balance of her moments of cluelessness, some times when she acts in ignornace in a way that is hurtful, and her constant attempts to do what is right. She's brave, independent, and able to look beyond her society's stereotypes of both herself and others. Her developing friendship with Mary is wonderful, and it's nice to read a book anchored in people who are truly good.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's innovative, thoughtful, well-written, and completely satisfying to read.
June 5, 2022
A grand tale of the Wild Weird West
If you like steampunk style, but in a more Magical Western Setting, this book is for you.
In the 1870s Montana, something more precious than gold has been dicovered.
Glowing Crystals that have Magical properties in a remote mining town.
Mysterious and dangerous caves, with ghosts, spirits, and a sentient creeping darkness combine with claim-jumpers, bandits, gunfighters and the Very Angry Lakota Sioux make mining the crystal incredibly dangerous.
A young half-Lakota woman, spurned by both the Sioux and the Settlers, a French Cavalry officer who is now sworn to protect his new country, a gunslinger bent on vengance to qiut the ghosts of family murdered be an evil necromancer, and finally an heiress yo the now defunct largest mining company in the area are thrown into the mix.
Each has secrets that could undo them, each has goals that drive them forward, and the collision is spectacular and astounding.
A good read, and herd to put down.
Not for people easily offended by the bigoted treatment of women and minorities in the past.
Not for people who deify our old west frontier life, either.
The attitudes and actions of the miners, soldiers, charlatans and good people trying to rice above feel very real with contemporary historical accounts of rough boomtowns and mining camps, but the feel is part of what makes the book so fantastic.
I hihly recommend!
If you like steampunk style, but in a more Magical Western Setting, this book is for you.
In the 1870s Montana, something more precious than gold has been dicovered.
Glowing Crystals that have Magical properties in a remote mining town.
Mysterious and dangerous caves, with ghosts, spirits, and a sentient creeping darkness combine with claim-jumpers, bandits, gunfighters and the Very Angry Lakota Sioux make mining the crystal incredibly dangerous.
A young half-Lakota woman, spurned by both the Sioux and the Settlers, a French Cavalry officer who is now sworn to protect his new country, a gunslinger bent on vengance to qiut the ghosts of family murdered be an evil necromancer, and finally an heiress yo the now defunct largest mining company in the area are thrown into the mix.
Each has secrets that could undo them, each has goals that drive them forward, and the collision is spectacular and astounding.
A good read, and herd to put down.
Not for people easily offended by the bigoted treatment of women and minorities in the past.
Not for people who deify our old west frontier life, either.
The attitudes and actions of the miners, soldiers, charlatans and good people trying to rice above feel very real with contemporary historical accounts of rough boomtowns and mining camps, but the feel is part of what makes the book so fantastic.
I hihly recommend!
March 19, 2023
A good adventure story with an urban fantasy twist
This is a unique book to me. I think I accidentally veered out of my usual literary lane, but I absolutely do not regret it. I can't think of any examples of similar books to do my usual: "If you like X character or X title, then you will like this book." So, it will have to be a piecemeal review.
This book is mildly gritty. The depiction of the main protagonists' treatment as a "half-injun" woman is probably nowhere near as horrible as it was in real life, but it was still racist enough for me to feel uncomfortable, as it should and as the author planned, I'm sure.
The setting is a classic old West boomtown-type backdrop. Instead of gold, the commodity is a special type of crystal. All the usual characters are there: the gunslinger, the single lady determined to make a go of mining, and the Native American guide, but the story is not trite, just familiar. Now that the scene is set, the adventure part begins.
It's a good book. I thought it was a bit slow, but I think that the author purposefully paced it like this because it reminded me of the shootout scene in the old TV westerns where the gunslinger walk slowly toward each other, with their spurs a-janglin. It definitely was not my usual UF, but I consider it a happy accident and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
This is a unique book to me. I think I accidentally veered out of my usual literary lane, but I absolutely do not regret it. I can't think of any examples of similar books to do my usual: "If you like X character or X title, then you will like this book." So, it will have to be a piecemeal review.
This book is mildly gritty. The depiction of the main protagonists' treatment as a "half-injun" woman is probably nowhere near as horrible as it was in real life, but it was still racist enough for me to feel uncomfortable, as it should and as the author planned, I'm sure.
The setting is a classic old West boomtown-type backdrop. Instead of gold, the commodity is a special type of crystal. All the usual characters are there: the gunslinger, the single lady determined to make a go of mining, and the Native American guide, but the story is not trite, just familiar. Now that the scene is set, the adventure part begins.
It's a good book. I thought it was a bit slow, but I think that the author purposefully paced it like this because it reminded me of the shootout scene in the old TV westerns where the gunslinger walk slowly toward each other, with their spurs a-janglin. It definitely was not my usual UF, but I consider it a happy accident and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
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