RED SONJA: CONSUMED - Gail Simone


 Red Sonja, the She-Devil of Hyrkania has spent most of her life doing whatever pleases her. Whether it be fighting or taking a bed partner, Sonja has never spent much time thinking beyond the moment. But when she meets some travelers who insist that her home territory needs her help.

Sonja's homeland, once ravaged by a merciless band of marauders, has been quarantined for nearly as long as she can remember - she can't imagine there's anyone there who could need her help.  The travelers convince her it's true and that, because of the previous devastation, they've led people to believe it's off limits.

When Sonja arrives, she finds that her abilities are indeed needed, but she's going to have to confront some of her past demons in order to move forward.

It makes a lot of sense to have author Gail Simone pen this as she should be familiar with Red Sonja, having scripted some of the comic books for the same character. Other than a few of her comics, I don't know Simone's work too well. I am, however, quite familiar with the character, having read most (if not all) the early comics since her creation by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973.

I really liked how 'real' Simone makes Sonja here.  She's an adult woman, not afraid to mix it up with anyone. She also knows what she likes sexually - she is not the timid female falling for every muscle-bound man who comes on to her (and most of them do).

This Red Sonja also has a strong bond with her horse. As someone who has read more than a few westerns, I appreciated this detail. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time riding a horse develops would come to rely on and understand the animal. This is somewhat important in the course of the book.

But as much as I enjoyed the general story here, and I liked the presentation of this Red Sonja, I found the book to be terribly even paced. The fight scenes have the same energy as the joking around the tavern scenes which have the same energy as the traveling scenes. The result is that the book feels slow for the majority of the read. It picks up during the dramatic climax and through the denouement, but it might be too late for many. For fans of the character and the genre, such as myself, it's worth sticking with to the end.

Some of the best parts of this book are the 'quotes' at the beginning of each chapter. They bring something different to the character of Sonja - how she is viewed by others. Each of these feels different and authentic.

Looking for a good book? Red Sonja: Consumed, by Gail Simone, gives the titular character more history and depth but the telling draws on.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3-1/2 stars

* * * * * *

Red Sonja: Consumed

author: Gail Simone

series: Red Sonja #1

publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 9780316475679

hardcover, 384 pages

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