In Dandelion Iron, book one of The Juniper Warsthere is an amazing mix of western, modern technology, steampunk, and a dash of post-apocalypse. I was intrigued to see what Aaron Michael Ritchey was doing to our future when I read his novella prequel Armageddon Dimes for review (link). The adventure in Dandelion Wars was worth it.Set in the United States around the northern Rocky Mountains, Ritchey combines seemingly conflicting elements to create a great landscape for adventure.
The Sino-American War is over. During the war, most of the male population was killed. That wasn't the end of the war though, it continued with women filling the ranks. After dealing with the killing, they've returned home to deal with all the issues of their new world and the PTSD of the horrors they've faced. During the war, China dropped a hydrogen bomb on the Yellowstone caldera, which set the lava flowing. The flow created an electromagnetic field that disrupts electronics. In the area known as the Juniper, roughly the northern Rockies of the United States, electronics just don't work.
During the same time as the war, the Sterility Epidemic spread which decreased the number of male births. And, only 10% of boys born are viable—able to father children. This reduction in the male population and the ability to father children has flipped many societal roles.
Plot
Cavatica Weller has been attending a private school in Cleveland, outside the Juniper. Her sister, Wren, arrives to take her home with the news their mother has died. Cavvy has been studying electronics with the dream of not returning to The Juniper. The ranch is in serious financial trouble and it up to Cavvy, Wren, and their older sister, Sharlotte, to complete a plan to save everything their mother put into motion before her death.
The sisters, with a few hired hands along with a dirigible, are driving their cattle to market. But the market on the east side of The Juniper is controlled by those the sisters owe money to and the price for beef in that market won't be enough to save the ranch. The plan, therefore, is to drive the herd to Wendover, Nevada.
This is book one and does not cover the entire trip. It is paced to get you through Denver and June Mai Angel's territory, an outlaw that was introduced in the prequel.
Style
There is plenty of action with modern weaponry and contraptions that were developed to work in The Juniper. There is also plenty of old style western action dealing with handling a cattle drive. While reading I had some flashes of the movie The Cowboys.
The pacing in Dandelion Iron fits the style for being a western/thriller/adventure. There is a mix of information that slides in with the storytelling that pulled me through into wanting to read what was next.
The story is told by Cavvy. She was raised on the ranch and educated in and then beyond The Juniper. This provides a fun cross between the two worlds of the where electricity exists and where it doesn't.
The characters are all examples of people who are more than they first appear.
Characters
I really liked the depth that is given to all the main and secondary characters in Dandelion Iron. There are layers to these characters that were released in bits and pieces that kept me intrigued. I could easily see where each of the characters are the lead of their own story and could provide more tales than what Cavvy has given us so far.
Overall
Dandelion Ironis a fun read. I enjoyed it to the point that as I was getting near the end of the book I knew there was no way this book ended with them arriving in Wendover. So much had been presented to that point and there was still more story to tell. This book ends well to bring completion to the first part. There was enough to know they had succeeded to that point of their adventure with enough of a well foreshadowed cliffhanger to want to find out what happens on the next leg of their drive.
There are themes dealt with in this book that I know some parents would not want younger children reading. There isn't anything graphic, but questions are raised. I liked the way the topics were handled.
The uniqueness of the setting with the mashup of different genres was refreshing. It gave a feel of something familiar along with something unknown.
I give Dandelion Iron 5 out of 5.
You can find Dandelion Iron on Amazon (link).
About the Author (from the book)Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of The Never Prayer, Long Live the Suicide King, and Elizabeth's Midnight. He was born on a cold and snowy September day in Denver, Colorado, and while he's lived and traveled all over the world, he's a child of the American West. Sagebrush makes him homesick. While he pines for Paris, he still lives in Colorado with his cactus flower of a wife and two stormy daughters.
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