Got my first 2-star review on Amazon for SILVER ON THE ROAD! Mostly, it seems, for using “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun.
“The author created engaging characters and a story that kept my interest. But… the worst, and most frequent, glitch was the use of “they” as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. “They” is always plural and can’t properly refer to one person; “he” or “she” is required. Even though I’m curious to know what happens next to the continuing characters, I will not read any more of this awkwardness.”
I may not find this so amusing after coffee. But I bet I probably will.
Meanwhile, and not to bury the lede, Library Journal awarded SILVER ON THE ROAD a starred review, saying “the characters and setting keep the interest of fans of atmospheric, strange Wild West stories.”
*admires the shiny star*
And then Green Man Review made me purr like a sun-splashed tiger –
“I think Silver On The Road, the first of Gilman’s Devil’s West series, has surpassed her own previous efforts for world building, and that is no small task… As much as I love Celtic and Northern European inspired fantasy, it’s increasingly being done badly. It’s a refreshing change to see American folk motifs and tropes, and especially to see them executed well.
Silver On the Road is Book 1 in Gilman’s Devil’s West Series. I can’t wait for Book 2.”
So yeah. Â You can’t please all the people all the time. Â But you can please the majority, and there are other books by other writers available for everyone else.
Meanwhile, I’m calling today a win all around, and it’s only just past 9am.