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Solid concept, interesting characters, and good tension.

I forced myself to read this story because it was the original "dime novel." The purple prose made it difficult to get through, and social ideas that were commonly acceptable back in 1860 make for rather terrible, if moderately laughable, reading now, such as referring to Native Americans as "savages" and in one sentence confirming that a man is terribly prejudiced and referring to him as "a just man." The whole thing ends up sounding like a warning against interracial marriage which will cause constant tragedy that even God can't prevent. There was also a glaring continuity error near the end. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is that it is a useful cultural reference. I would never recommend this to someone just wanting an enjoyable read, I would only recommend it for its historical relevance.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it was definitely a good read. The two stories are completely unrelated to each other, apart from being by the same author and taking place in the same general geographic region. They both show that they were written in and about a different time, especially High Hunt (all that drinking and driving, for example!). Despite being separate stories (characters, settings, etc.), both The Losers and High Hunt delve into what makes people tick, and Eddings doesn't shy away from the darker, baser motivations. I felt that The Losers offered more insights, while High Hunt was a more engaging read. Not something for young audiences -- sex, violence, bad attitudes, adult problems, etc. run throughout both stories -- but a good read for mature audiences. I'd give this book 3.5 stars, so as usual I'll round that up to 4.

It took me awhile to really commit to this book, I thought about not finishing it several times in the first few chapters. I realize that the main character has ASD-related difficulties dealing with people, but the result (at first) is a rebarbative personality that, combined with the first-person telling of the story, repeatedly put me off. Perhaps the added distance of third-person would have helped. Anyway, she is forced into accepting changes in her life and as she adapts to those changes she becomes less rigid and more accepting, and those changes and perhaps the added depth of character helped me to start caring about her and the story outcome. The tale itself is not bad, although fairly predictable at times. Overall I ended up enjoying it enough that I am glad I stuck with it.

My main review is on Amazon, but in brief, I will say that this was a fun and informative read. I shared many tidbits with my family, and I'll be able to use the information (and overall food-awareness) I've gained from it to improve my works-in-progress.

If you want a close peek at the brutal daily experiences of those the US sent on its misadventure in Vietnam, this historical novel will give you that, with a detailed focus on the air aspect of the war (especially regarding those who flew the F-100 and F-105). Politicians inclined to "send in our military" without clear objectives and exit strategies should be forced to read this book and others like it.

However, the book itself needs significant editing to clean up errors like missing punctuation and incorrect word choice, and some revision to help the story flow would help too.