Book review of Red Sonja Consumed by Gail Simone

     

Name of Book: Red Sonja Consumed

Author: Gail Simone

ISBN: 9780316475679

Publisher: Orbit 

Type of book: Fantasy, steppes, politics, fights, secrets, survival, gladiator, scorned love, magic, dark legends 

Year it was published: 2024

Summary:

Red Sonja, the iconic, fiery, she-devil with a sword, is reinvented for a new generation of readers in this action-packed epic fantasy by legendary comic book writer Gail Simone.

The gutsy, wild, tortured free spirit, forged in pain yet unafraid of life or death, Red Sonja, the famous, fiery She-Devil and barbarian of Hyrkania has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back.

But when rumors start bubbling up from her homeland—rumors of unknown horrors emerging from the ground and pulling their unsuspecting victims to their deaths—and a strange voice begins whispering to her in her sleep, she realizes she may have to return to the country that abandoned her. And finally do the only thing that has ever scared her: confront her past.

Characters:

Main character would be Sonja, a Hyrkanian woman who is best described as a nomad without any ties to anything. She is also known as a She Devil. Sonja has a devil may care/ hedonistic attitude towards life and does things she has little regrets for. She is a fierce fighter and in her own way is loyal. There are other characters such as Ysidra, Sonjas scorned lover, and Sylus, a twisted individual who is best described as sadistic. 

Theme:

Is it possible to love 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative primarily from Sonjas point of view. Other characters also give their points of view such as Ysidra, Solus, the Hyrkanian royalty and guards. So I am not familiar with Sonjas world, thus a map would have been beneficial for me. And story does not really begin until way past middle, and motivations are not fully explained. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Gail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".

Opinion:

I am definitely sorry, but I didn't like it. At first I thought I would like THE book, but it didn't happen that way. I couldn't get attached to any characters, and while I liked the beginning chapter quotes because they opened up a rich world full of wonder, I couldn't get into the story. I think main reasons  is perhaps lack of depthness towards the characters. I mean I understand the characters, but it felt very shallow. I also thought the story played a large part: most of the book, Sonja moved and traveled with very little purpose towards the main story. And some of the characters actions were inexplicable for me, especially towards the end. 

This was given for review 

2 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)