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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto ARC Review

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
Format: Paperback ARC
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub. Date: Feburary 2nd, 2016
Pre-order it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.


The premise of Revenge and the Wild is really interesting but just missed the mark for me. I enjoyed Modesto's writing style, but her plot and character development were all over the place. There was so much going on, from different types of creatures to inconsequential side-plots, that I was pushing myself through large chunks of this book. To me, this is a case of the author trying to accomplish too many different types of elements in one book. I was not emotionally invested in the characters or their relationships, though there were aspects of the main plot that I found intriguing. However, there was just was too much to wade through to get to those bits. My favorite character was Costin, a sexy vampire, and I would have loved if he was more present in the book. 


1) I really love Costin. He's sexy and funny, and he definitely should have been in the book more. It's been a while since I last fell in love with a vampire.



2) There is a really cool twist to the plot at the end of the novel. Honestly, up until that point I thought that I had it all figured out, but I totally got sucker punched! It was awesome and I couldn't figure out how I didn't see it coming.


3) Michelle Modesto is extremely skilled at writing very gruesome scenes. I was pretty grossed out during some of the sections and at times, I had to put the book down to let the shuddering pass. You clearly need a stronger stomach than mine to get through those parts haha.

4) Westie is an independent woman, and she takes her life into her own hands. No matter how dangerous, she doesn't just sit around and wait for things to happen. She finds the information she needs and makes plans, whether her friends support her or not. Westie goes after what she thinks is the right thing to do, no matter what the cost.



1) There was just so much going on in this book. It's in a Western type setting with steampunk aspects that also incorporates parts involving The Gold Rush. Then you've got zombies (a.k.a. the Undying), cannibals, vampires, elves, and dwarfs. For me, it just doesn't all mesh well together because it's too much. Although I have seen this many different elements in combination work before (in Lord of The Rings or in Studio Ghibli movies), it's not an easy feat to accomplish.



2a) I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple. There aren't enough scenes of the two of them together, so you don't get to see them falling in love. This is also because their relationship begins (and also falls apart) before the book even starts. So when the two of them finally fix their mess, I didn't feel anything since their connection was something I was told about rather than something I felt from watching it develop.

2b) The relationships and the characters in this book are pretty flat. The reader is told a lot information so that things would make sense plot-wise, but it being told to me didn't make me feel anything except detached.

3) There are long sections of the book where I was bored because it didn't seem like much was happening. Although Westie spends her time investigating the people she suspects killed her family, I wasn't immersed into the plot. I was just going through the motions and taking in the information but for the most part, I wasn't emotionally invested.

4) The Native Americans seemed like they should have been vital to the plot (since they were the "magical ones") but they were mostly in the background. I wanted more information about them, their society, and their powers.



"What's the point of being disgustingly wealthy if you can't brag about all the little people you've helped along the way?"
"I look stupid."

He studied her dress without argument.

"Your face is pretty," he said.
"I said no funny business." While her mechanical hand squeezed his neck, her flesh hand caressed his cheek. Though she still had some of her wits, it was a losing battle. There was no telling how long she could keep resisting him. If she had to take a guess, she was at the end of the countdown.

He choked out a laugh, barely able to get words through her stranglehold. "You said to keep my hands to myself. You didn't say anything about my lips."

8 comments:

  1. So sad you didn't love this one because I was really looking forward to it but we normally share the same views on books.. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Yeah, I was upset about it too because I was really looking forward to it.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Awe :( I was looking forward to this one but I see why you didn't like it. I'll definitely still give it a go, though. (Also thank you, Brittany, for using a GIF from Bridesmaids it only made my love for you grow xD)
    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I'm curious to see what you think of this one =) I hope you like it more than I did. (You're welcome xD <3 <3 <3)

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Oh man :-/ I'm really looking forward to this one-- I hope it works a bit more for me. The cover and summary look so good.

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    1. I was really excited about this one but was ultimately let down. I hope that you like it though! We'll have to discuss it =)

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  4. Aw... Sucks that you didn't like it.
    But, on a better note, love the usage of GIFs. (And you go climb that tree. You got my full support.)

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    1. Yeah..I was disappointed.

      Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy the GIFs. The Bridemaids one seems to be the favorite haha.

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