Review – The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow (The Crystal Calamity, Book 1) by Rachel Aaron (4.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 516 pages
Publisher: Aaron/Bach
Release Date: June 1, 2022
ASIN: B09Z38KWJT
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in The Crystal Calamity series
Source: Borrowed eBook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“The Montana Territory, 1876, and the discovery of magical crystal has sparked a rush that makes gold a thing of the past. The US Cavalry, the Sioux tribes, and the criminal underworld will stop at nothing to control the mines that produce the new miracle stone, but the beautiful crystals bring a darkness, a madness, and a horror that threatens to consume all who seek their power.
Mary Good Crow, a half-Lakota guide, can hear the crystal’s song. She makes her living leading miners to fortune, but there’s trouble brewing in the depths of the crystal caves that even she can’t navigate. Bandits with crystal-augmented strength, ghosts that roam the living darkness, and madmen driven by the crystals’ power to destroy all who seek their prize.
With Josephine Price, a mining heiress with secrets to hide, and Tyrel Reiner, a gunslinger haunted by a necromancer’s legacy, Mary must navigate the dangerous world of the new Magical West. The beautiful song of the crystal has never led her false so far, but with war brewing on the plains and enemies in every shadow, embracing the power that’s driven so many mad before her might just be Mary’s only shot at survival.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Crystal Calamity duology. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook through Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: I have read some Aaron’s other series and enjoyed most of them. I really loved her “Heartstrikers” series and the companion series to that, “The DFZ”. I wasn’t a bit fan of “The Spirit Thief” and never read any other Eli Monpress books and haven’t read her “FFO” series. I ended up really enjoying Aaron’s first book in The Crystal Calamity duology and can’t wait to read the second!
This book alternates between three main points of view. The first is Mary Good Crow a half-Lakota guide into the magical crystal caves. Mary can hear the crystal’s song and struggles to eke out a living as a guide because of her half Lakota origin. The second is Josephine Price, she is a mining heiress who wants to do her uncle proud and start up the Price mining business again. The third is Tyrel Reiner, a gunslinger who is in debt to the local criminal element. Tyrel wants revenge and will serve the criminal element to get needed info to complete that revenge. Things are moving along as smooth as they can, until the US Cavalry ends up in war with the Sioux Tribes.
I absolutely adored the beginning of this book. There is a ton of adventure and cave-delving. I loved the creativity behind the magic of the crystal caves and the crazy environments and creatures we ran into down there. The characters are delightful as well; they are all smart, have secrets, and wicked senses of humor.
The second half of the book I was less in love with. Mid-way through our characters get involved with the US Calvary and the war with the Sioux, I could have done without these parts. Although, this did drive some more intriguing elements of the story later in the book. I am very curious to see where this all goes in the 2nd book, “The Battle of Medicine Lake”. I am also eager to learn more about the magic of the crystals and more about Tyrel’s necromancy.
This was well written and easy to follow. I found it engaging and highly entertaining and enjoyed the majority of this book immensely.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall this was a fun and creative fantasy read. I loved the cave adventures and magic, the characters are very fun as well. Those who enjoy western fantasies with some unique magic and some cave exploration will find a lot here to love. I can’t wait to read the final book of this duology and have already picked it up!
