The Wild Road – Michelle West

Every scene in this book is a gem. Every scene is crafted to give us insight into one or more characters. Many also give us insight into the world in which the story is embedded.

From the perspective of the overall story, the book is largely wasted. We start with our party leaving its home and setting out towards a destination. We end with the party still on the road, still traveling. Little has changed. Book 2 - this book - would have made no sense without book 1, but a reader who moves directly from book 1 to book 3 will probably not be inconvenienced. To my mind, that means that “The Wild Road” isn’t pulling its weight.

Did I enjoy reading it? Yes. (That’s what the rating means.) Will I read book 3 when it comes out? Yes. (I’ve enjoyed all of the author’s books; I don’t expect that to change.) But this book seems like a lost opportunity.