Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks!

A train ride through wastelands. I loved the locked room feel of the train - and that our main mc has always been on the train. She's grown up on it and knows the ins and outs, the crew and the captain. It's a bit of a slow burn, the story took a moment to get going, but around 50% I definitely found myself invested.

The feel of the guide and the information felt very much like another series, where a guide is not all that it seems (and may not be as helpful as you think). I loved the interactions with the author and the stowaway and I enjoyed this ride of a story. The ending felt a bit rushed, after the slow burn of the story, but I did like how it all came together!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Do you like train car mysteries, historical fiction, and/or gothic fantasy bordering horror? Are you okay with slow pacing? Are you willing to think while reading and work to earn the story? If you answered yes to these then this is 100% something you will Love.

# The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands
# ? ~ 12/9/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended

This was kind of an adventure in speculative historical fantasy that reminded me of Piranesi but also delved into Sino-Russian and seemed to hav messaging on corporate greed. It was pretty good- sometimes a little stranger than I like. Not for everyone.
More of a magical realism or speculative fantasy with a steampunk historical fiction vibe. I think readers who liked Piranesi and The Tainted Cup would like this as long as they kept on reading and didn’t expect the characters to pop as much as they did in The Tainted Cup. I originally gave this a 3, but since I have not really stopped thinking about it- I’m bumping it to between a 3 and 4 star read. Don’t go into it expecting to know what is going on or where it is going and I think you might like it or never stop thinking about it.

My Selling Pitch:
That Planet Midnight Episode of Doctor Who but this time it's a whole ass book that sacrifices horror for whimsy.

Pre-reading:
I have no idea what this book is about, but it was a Goldsboro pick so here I am.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I like how it’s for fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, which are both books I hate so this should be interesting.

The audiobook’s accent is so thick, John Snow. (I normally cruise at a 2.5 when the book is easy. I was down at 1.5 just to parse the accent.)

This first bit is reminding me of Emily Wilde.

Also, is this the maiden voyage of it? I imagine it’s gonna be like Titanic then. (It’s a return to service run.)

Is that Marya and Bobba Yaga like from Deathless because I would be so excited if we’re doing that again. (We’re not doing that again.)

Polar Express but make it horror?

Oh, I LOVE the cast. This is Juicy!
A liar, a countess, a maid, an orphan, an engineer, a naturalist, a French couple, a lady captain, a fake professor, men in black consultants, a silk merchant, a cartographer

Oh, I’m SAT.

I immediately don't trust the French couple.

Dude, this is so interesting and compelling.

Men in black lol.

This is ridiculously compelling. I love a distinct ensemble cast.

This is Planet Midnight from Doctor Who.

I feel like the faux prof is gonna be murdered.

That maid has a secret for sure.

I'm looking for a man in finance🎶

This is so good.

THIS IS SO GOOD.

It does feel exactly like that Planet Midnight episode just expanded into a book though.

It’s giving Belle and Maurice.

I’m assuming the faux professor is the author of the book?

Artemis is def the captain, and he's the retired author. (Like yes and no.)

There's gonna be skinwalkers in this. I’m hype. (SIGH.)

I don't think he's growing an ulcer. I think he's growing a creature. (SIGH.)

Okay, Hitler.

YOU ARE HUNGRY AND I RESPECT HUNGER. (When I said this Ninth House quote lives rent free in my brain, I meant that.)

That is not a girl omfg.

THIS IS SO GOOD.

Oh, his friend? Then the cartographer definitely betrayed him.

Is this gonna be a weird little romance (Yup. Although to be fair, when I made this snarky comment, I did think he was the same age as her dad.)

And there’s your call back to the mermaid and the poison lake and mimicry. This is so well done. I'm ready to be afraid! (SIGH.)

Did he cause the pipe leak to slow the train for the Naturalist? (Nope.)

I feel like mommy siren is trying to get the princess back. (Why is that not the book? It was right there. And then you could've had absent mom vs absent mom. Like just sitting there!)

Detritus sin

The thing that’s coming is not the lizard monster. (I kept believing this book was gonna be scarier than it was.)

This conclusion is kind of bumming me out. I was hoping we were going for horror/murder mystery and instead, it’s more magical realism, hippie dippy shit.

I’m bored.

It’s a better setup than it is a conclusion, but I also fucked myself by thinking that this was gonna be a murder mystery or horror book, and it’s not that.

Post-reading:
They had us in the first half, not gonna lie.

This is probably the poster child for Samantha doesn’t read blurbs, makes assumptions, and then disappoints herself. I thought we were setting up for a locked room mystery with fabulous dashes of horror. It’s never a mystery, and its horror angle loses steam fast. It’s formulaic and grossly predictable with its plot twists. We have a breakneck start that introduces us to juicy, entangled character archetypes that maybe we’ve seen before, but we know they can be done well. We’re ready to settle in for some Knives Out fun. And then the book kills all its tension by the 60% mark and we struggle along to an unsatisfying conclusion.

And it’s such a letdown because I cannot emphasize to you enough how much this book was poised for genuinely scary horror only to end with its cast practically singing Kumbaya.

It’s a large cast at that, and the characters end up feeling flat because we don’t have enough time to properly develop them. The reader is told every character’s secrets so early on and then just has to sit around waiting for other characters to catch up. It's grating. The romance subplot, if you can even call it that, was insta lovey. There was a huge opportunity for some mommy issues and gender commentary with the Captain’s arc, and we do nothing with it. The book touches on religious zealotism and capitalism, but it’s so surface-level. There’s nothing to sink your teeth into.

I think it’s being pitched so incorrectly. This book has nothing to do with Piranesi or the Midnight Library. I mean, I guess they all use magical realism, but if you go in expecting either of those books, you’re going to be wildly disappointed.

I think it’s overly ambitious and underdeveloped. I don’t think it knew what genre it wanted to be. I don’t think it’s bad, but I do think the pacing issues are going to make it hard for readers to get through it. I just think that most people who pick this up are going to be disappointed. They’re not going to get the book the blurb pitches or that the introduction sets up for, and it’s not a fair trade.

Who should read this:
Planet Midnight Fans
Cozy fantasy fans
Allison Saft fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Would I buy this:
No

Similar books:
* A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft-the queer, dark academia version of this book
* Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett-cozy fantasy, light academia romance
* The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer-cozy fantasy, queer romance
* Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson-like it’s not, but if you end up craving a train mystery after reading this-
* Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang-dystopian urban fantasy
* Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs-bookish magical realism, family drama, ensemble cast

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing! I couldn't put it down. I was incredibly invested in every character, and I couldn't wait to see what they did next. The setting of an enclosed train is always a suspenseful one, but the Wastelands ratcheted up the anxiety in a great way. I loved how you learned more and more about it and reset your ideas about it as the book went on.

This book suffers from debut syndrome- too many threads and not enough power to keep them all straight. Though I love the premise, the execution was lacking and the story itself seemed to get lost. Great concept, interesting style, but overall not my cup of tea.

Engaging dark historical fantasy, with mysteries and a fascinating setting. Great for fantasy lovers who also love Golden Age mysteries: the train setting and rather slow moving and at times confusing story are par for the course. The conclusion, when it comes, is satisfying. Fans of dark academia will enjoy this adventure across the wastelands.

Thank you Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the eARC of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands. All opinions in this review are my own.

I thought this book was going to be more like a fantasy version of Murder on the Orient Express mixed with a train ride across the Fold from Shadow & Bone. The beginning was kind of slow and it didn't include as much fantasy as I thought it would. However, it did pick up in the second half and it was good, but unfortunately, it just took too long to get there.

this isn't really a type of novel that I'm usually in the mood for except for once I've seen it in that moment if that makes sense.

This is a tricky review to write because I both loved this book and found it a bit disappointing. The conceit is clever, the writing lovely, but I think that overall it didn't quite go as far as I had anticipated with its overall message. I do think it was fun and interesting, and it kept me up reading- which is always a sign of a good read! I also loved being immersed in a fictive world that didn't seem very far off from our own, a rather steampunk Russian/Chinese world that I'd be happy to revisit. It had hints of some of my favorite novels (Annihilation, Station Eleven) but without the darkness that those books hold. Enjoyable characters as well made for four stars for me!

3.5 rounded down. I really enjoyed the different POVs and the atmospheric vibes here. I'm a sucker for steampunk settings and stories that are set on trains, so I felt like this would 100% be up my alley. And for the most part, I did enjoy myself, but I felt the pacing was a tad bit slow in the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the vibes here, but I wish I was more invested in the characters even though I said I enjoyed the POVs earlier. I just didn't fully connect as much as I wanted to.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey and would absolutely try another book from Brooks!

Multiple passengers find themselves on a journey unlike any other as they travel on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train though the Wastelands. Everyone knows the journey can be dangerous. And this journey is no exception. Will anyone survive?
The main characters are Zhang Weiwei (an orphan born, raised and dedicated to the train), Marya Petrovna (a grieving woman with a borrowed name), Henry Grey (a disgraced naturalist), Suzuki Kenji (the train's cartographer), an unnamed captain, and Elena (a stowaway).
At first, I wasn't connecting with the story or the characters. But by the end of the first quarter, I was hooked. The fantasy sparked my imagination, and I could picture the action. I also like most of the characters. I was rooting for Marya to discover the truth and obtain her revenge. And I wanted to discover the truth about who and what Elena is. Of course, some characters (like the Crows) are unlikable, but they play an important role in the story.
I really want to watch this book made into a movie or read an illustrated version! As the author states, "The Wastelands were not simply a means to an end, he realized; not just a danger to be endured, but an opportunity."

I was originally pretty excited upon receiving this arc, but it ended up lacking much of a plot for the majority of the book with the characters mainly walking around and talking to each other. I just couldn't fully get into it despite how much I wanted to, although it's a great premise!

An original steampunk mystery taking place on a train traveling through wastelands. I enjoyed this atmospheric story, there is an eerie feeling with creepy moments and well-crafted characters.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Flat Iron Books in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this one a little bit. It was hard to get into. I wish there would have been more description and exploration of the Wastelands. I really liked the concept of the train and traveling through the Wastelands. The characters were interesting and helped to keep the story moving. The ending was a little abrupt for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know much about this one before I started reading, but I was quickly sucked into this steam punk sci-fi story. Rich development of a world but still manages to highlight the ever present battle between environmentalists and corporations. Well suited for the audiobook format, as well.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review "The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands." I was really surprised to not see higher ratings for this book. I really enjoyed the story, it reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel and a science fiction tale combined. It has a touch of elegance and fear. The story keeps draws the reader in to the mystery of the Wastelands. A good choice for those who like books about the unknown.

3.5 stars, I think. This book was ambitious but I don't think it managed to pull it off. It was incredibly atmospheric, but lacked some of the total urgency needed to make me care one way or another about the central mystery of the Wastelands and what happened on the previous crossing.