The Cold Eye Continues an Epic Journey into the Devil’s West
The best fantasy books can build worlds with such exquisite precision, you wish you could crawl inside of of them and explore the landscape on your own, to join the characters as they go about their lives and adventures. That’s how I feel about the Devil’s West, the dusty environs Laura Anne Gilman first showed us in Silver on the Road and returns to in the sequel, The Cold Eye. I want to step into this world, play cards at the devil’s table, and chat with Marie, the devil’s Right Hand.
In The Cold Eye we find Isobel, the devil’s Left Hand, continuing her travels within the Territory alongside her mentor, Gabriel. The story picks up shortly after the events of the previous book. As Isobel is riding back to regroup with Gabriel, she finds herself drawn astray by a whisper from the Territory. Riding without Gabriel for the first time on what was supposed to be a simple four day errand run, she knows her failure to return will cause him to worry.
She also knows she is the devil’s representative, and can’t ignore a request for assistance, so she sets off to follow the whisper. She quickly discovers something is poisoning the very Territory itself, and even with Gabriel’s help, it might be too much for them to contain or cleanse. The pair set off, searching for answers and the identities of those responsible for bringing rot to the land.
This book is best appreciated by those who have read Silver on the Road, the better to fully appreciate the depth of friendship and respect between Isobel and her mentor, Gabriel. The Cold Eye is a captivating read and only served to feed my obsession with this weird Western world. Sixteen-year-old Isobel is a character is so beautifully rendered that, despite her youth, you can see her trying to grow up fast in order to handle her chosen occupation, even as she experiences moments of simply being a too-young girl unfamiliar with all life has to throw at her.
The writing is smooth and absorbing. From page one I was sucked in, thrilled to be stepping back into the Devil’s West. It is evident Gilman has done extensive research to ensure her rendering of the landscape and the historical elements leap off the page (you can almost smell the leather and horses). Both of these novels are more than “weird Westerns,” they create an entirely new Western mythos, one I hope to explore for many books to come.
The Cold Eye is available now.