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Outlaw Planet
This is the story of a lone outlaw, haunted by her past and with all the multiverse against her . . . Discover this thrilling standalone science fiction adventure from the million-copy bestselling M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts and the Philip K. Dick Award-shortlisted Infinity Gate.
Sometimes the fate of entire worlds can be decided by a woman with nothing to lose, and the smartest gun in the multiverse in her hand . . .
This is the story of Bess - or Dog-Bitch Bess as she came to be known. It's the story of the gun she carried, whose name was Wakeful Slim. It's the story of the dead man who carried that gun before her and left a piece of himself inside it. And it's the tale of how she turned from teacher, to renegade, and ultimately to hero.
This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war - one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.
This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it - knew for sure how badly she'd been used - she had no option but to do something about it.
From one of genre fiction's most original and revolutionary voices comes a space opera adventure like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . .
'Wildly inventive, lush worldbuilding in just the first couple of pages. This is the story of a character you can't forget in a story that just keeps expanding beyond the weirdest horizon' David Wellington, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated The Last Astronaut on Outlaw Planet
'A genuine treat for SF an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller' Kirkus on Infinity Gate
'An immense an impeccably crafted book' New York Times on Infinity Gate
Sometimes the fate of entire worlds can be decided by a woman with nothing to lose, and the smartest gun in the multiverse in her hand . . .
This is the story of Bess - or Dog-Bitch Bess as she came to be known. It's the story of the gun she carried, whose name was Wakeful Slim. It's the story of the dead man who carried that gun before her and left a piece of himself inside it. And it's the tale of how she turned from teacher, to renegade, and ultimately to hero.
This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war - one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.
This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it - knew for sure how badly she'd been used - she had no option but to do something about it.
From one of genre fiction's most original and revolutionary voices comes a space opera adventure like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . .
'Wildly inventive, lush worldbuilding in just the first couple of pages. This is the story of a character you can't forget in a story that just keeps expanding beyond the weirdest horizon' David Wellington, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated The Last Astronaut on Outlaw Planet
'A genuine treat for SF an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller' Kirkus on Infinity Gate
'An immense an impeccably crafted book' New York Times on Infinity Gate
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2025
254 people are currently reading
1920 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Carey
41 books6,699 followersMike Carey is the acclaimed writer of Lucifer and Hellblazer (now filmed as Constantine). He has recently completed a comics adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and is the current writer on Marvel's X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. He has also written the screenplay for a movie, Frost Flowers, which is soon to be produced by Hadaly Films and Bluestar Pictures.
Also writes as Mike Carey
Also writes as Mike Carey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
November 15, 2025
“A science fiction western, you say? Hmm, sounds a little odd, but I gave five stars to Carey’s last book, so I’ll give it a shot (pun intended).”
Verdict: I LOVED it. I’m sad it’s over. I didn’t entirely agree with the ending, but I had such a fun ride all the way through.
A word to the wise—this is pretty long, and it takes quite a while to get where it’s going. You must give it some grace and patience, because the backstory is necessary and contains hints of what’s to come.
I think it’s better for readers to go in blind here, but I’ll just say this—there’s a potential Civil War brewing between the northern and southern states, regarding the issues of equality and slavery…but amongst fully-sentient animals of all types. How can you not be intrigued??
Sound too weird? Override that impulse to skip this, because you still need to give it a shot. It’s AMAZING. The worldbuilding is expertly done. You will grow to love the two main characters and be sad to leave them, just like me.
Many thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance ecopy. All opinions are mine.
Please note: This is touted as a standalone, but in reading some other reviews of it, ‘twould seem that there are two previous books set in the same general ginormous area. I plan on reading those next, and I’ll edit this review afterwards regarding my opinion on whether it’s better to read those first. Just something to consider before you dive in to this one.
Verdict: I LOVED it. I’m sad it’s over. I didn’t entirely agree with the ending, but I had such a fun ride all the way through.
A word to the wise—this is pretty long, and it takes quite a while to get where it’s going. You must give it some grace and patience, because the backstory is necessary and contains hints of what’s to come.
I think it’s better for readers to go in blind here, but I’ll just say this—there’s a potential Civil War brewing between the northern and southern states, regarding the issues of equality and slavery…but amongst fully-sentient animals of all types. How can you not be intrigued??
Sound too weird? Override that impulse to skip this, because you still need to give it a shot. It’s AMAZING. The worldbuilding is expertly done. You will grow to love the two main characters and be sad to leave them, just like me.
Many thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance ecopy. All opinions are mine.
Please note: This is touted as a standalone, but in reading some other reviews of it, ‘twould seem that there are two previous books set in the same general ginormous area. I plan on reading those next, and I’ll edit this review afterwards regarding my opinion on whether it’s better to read those first. Just something to consider before you dive in to this one.
March 11, 2026
Wow!! I knew 35% of the way in this was shaping up to be an epic science fiction tome. What I didn’t know then was how beautifully Carey would bring everything together.
I’m told this is set in the same world as Carey’s duology (which I haven’t read but I’ve bumped up my list!!). Currently, I don’t feel like I missed anything by reading it as a stand-alone (which is how it’s being marketed). Be prepared for a very dense, high stakes, elaborate science fiction epic. While we don’t leave the planet, this world is both alien, yet familiar all at once. Carey did a brilliant job of making this feel like a place we know; yet one we are baffled by all the same.
The characters are what really makes this a glorious read. The plot is there, the action of a western, a touch of romance and lots of camaraderie; but at its core Outlaw Planet is about two people, our leading lady, Dog Bitch Bess, a scorned, angry, heart broken woman (for most of the book) who just wants the world to know it sucks. Our unknown stranger that shows up in logs at the end of each ‘part’ of the story is a mystery until very close to the end. And trust me you will not see this ending coming. It fits perfect; and yet predicting it is nigh on impossible as Carey has woven things together so well.
If I’ve ever thought a book was written backwards (author starting at the end and writing forward) it was this one. Every piece of the puzzle fits so perfect as you move forwards. Click the ‘click’ is happening only because the future knows what it is. I loved the journey of this epic and (intentionally) read it slowly so as to savour it. In fact I read it so slow I had to return my library copy and bought my own print one so I didn’t have to rush through! And rightfully so, this novel deserves a coveted place in my print library. I’ve even added it to my favourites just now (an elite list) as I’m confident it won’t be leaving me anytime soon (if ever!).
Carey and I have had some good reading times in short stories and Gifts was good. But Outlaw Planet has vaulted him to my ‘must read’ list. And now I need to catch up on the Koli trilogy and the duology attached to this book because I can’t not devour every word he has ever written!
All that praise aside please be cautioned. This is fairly hard science fiction with no chapters, instead 8 dense parts with few breaks. The technology is elaborate, the pieces you are given to start are confusing and meant to leave you unsure of what is going on. Trust the journey. But know it’s a slow, lengthy journey. If that’s not your kind of book that’s okay you can find another. But if you love an epic saga that knows what it is and wants to be so well you feel like it’s already a classic, then pick this beauty up and enjoy the time you spend with Dog Bitch Bess and her sentient gun Slim. Time is unforgiving; and you’ll want to spend some of yours in this world.
I’m told this is set in the same world as Carey’s duology (which I haven’t read but I’ve bumped up my list!!). Currently, I don’t feel like I missed anything by reading it as a stand-alone (which is how it’s being marketed). Be prepared for a very dense, high stakes, elaborate science fiction epic. While we don’t leave the planet, this world is both alien, yet familiar all at once. Carey did a brilliant job of making this feel like a place we know; yet one we are baffled by all the same.
The characters are what really makes this a glorious read. The plot is there, the action of a western, a touch of romance and lots of camaraderie; but at its core Outlaw Planet is about two people, our leading lady, Dog Bitch Bess, a scorned, angry, heart broken woman (for most of the book) who just wants the world to know it sucks. Our unknown stranger that shows up in logs at the end of each ‘part’ of the story is a mystery until very close to the end. And trust me you will not see this ending coming. It fits perfect; and yet predicting it is nigh on impossible as Carey has woven things together so well.
If I’ve ever thought a book was written backwards (author starting at the end and writing forward) it was this one. Every piece of the puzzle fits so perfect as you move forwards. Click the ‘click’ is happening only because the future knows what it is. I loved the journey of this epic and (intentionally) read it slowly so as to savour it. In fact I read it so slow I had to return my library copy and bought my own print one so I didn’t have to rush through! And rightfully so, this novel deserves a coveted place in my print library. I’ve even added it to my favourites just now (an elite list) as I’m confident it won’t be leaving me anytime soon (if ever!).
Carey and I have had some good reading times in short stories and Gifts was good. But Outlaw Planet has vaulted him to my ‘must read’ list. And now I need to catch up on the Koli trilogy and the duology attached to this book because I can’t not devour every word he has ever written!
All that praise aside please be cautioned. This is fairly hard science fiction with no chapters, instead 8 dense parts with few breaks. The technology is elaborate, the pieces you are given to start are confusing and meant to leave you unsure of what is going on. Trust the journey. But know it’s a slow, lengthy journey. If that’s not your kind of book that’s okay you can find another. But if you love an epic saga that knows what it is and wants to be so well you feel like it’s already a classic, then pick this beauty up and enjoy the time you spend with Dog Bitch Bess and her sentient gun Slim. Time is unforgiving; and you’ll want to spend some of yours in this world.
December 12, 2025
4.5 stars
A fantastic standalone novel taking place in the same world as Carey’s Pandominion Duology, set chronologically after the events but only touching lightly on the details of Infinity Gate and Echo of Worlds. Outlaw Planet takes on themes of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, and self-determination in a manner that is both straightforward and nuanced.
The story can’t be anything but filled with conflict and violence, but it never feels performative. The messages are clear without being stated or bogging down the narrative. Instead we get a hard and heartfelt old west style story with a science fiction bent that moves us from a fast start out of the gate relentlessly through to a well earned ending.
A fantastic standalone novel taking place in the same world as Carey’s Pandominion Duology, set chronologically after the events but only touching lightly on the details of Infinity Gate and Echo of Worlds. Outlaw Planet takes on themes of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, and self-determination in a manner that is both straightforward and nuanced.
The story can’t be anything but filled with conflict and violence, but it never feels performative. The messages are clear without being stated or bogging down the narrative. Instead we get a hard and heartfelt old west style story with a science fiction bent that moves us from a fast start out of the gate relentlessly through to a well earned ending.
December 21, 2025
این کتاب از آن کارهاییست که از همان ابتدا تکلیفش را با خواننده روشن میکند: نه میخواهد خودش را «جلد سوم رسمی» پاندومینیون جا بزند و نه وانمود میکند مستقلِ مستقل است. داستان عملاً روی بقایای همان جهانِ فروپاشیده راه میرود؛ جهانی که پاندومینیون در آن سقوط کرده، اما سایهاش هنوز روی زمین مانده و هنوز آدمها (و غیرآدمها) با پیامدهایش دستوپنجه نرم میکنند. به همین دلیل، برای کسی که دو جلد «دروازهی بینهایت» و «پژواک دنیاها» را خوانده، این کتاب ناخواسته وارد یک مقایسهی نابرابر میشود.
جذابترین نقطهی کتاب بدون تردید انتخاب فرم است. کری اینجا بهجای آن عظمت کیهانی و بازیهای مفهومیِ پاندومینیون، سراغ یک وسترن تمامعیار رفته است؛ وسترنی علمیتخیلی با همهی مؤلفههای آشنا: سرزمین مرزی، قانونِ شُل و ول، عدالتِ شخصی، اسلحهای که بیش از آنکه ابزار باشد، بارِ اسطورهای دارد، و شخصیتی که گذشتهاش مثل سایه دنبالش میآید. این ترکیب، به شکل جالبی خوب جواب داده. عناصر وسترن نه چسبانده شدهاند و نه صرفاً ژستاند؛ در تار و پود جهان نشستهاند و حتی زبان روایت هم رنگوبوی همان قصهگویی خشن و افسانهوارِ مرزهای تمدن را دارد.
داستان بیش از هر چیز بر شخصیتمحوری استوار است. ما با قهرمانی طرفیم که محصول خشونت، تبعیض و دروغهای بزرگِ ساختاری است؛ کسی که در جهانی زندگی میکند که «خدایانش» مردهاند، اما هنوز کسی جرئت نکرده واقعاً دفنشان کند. اینجا پاندومینیون دیگر یک امپراتوری فعال نیست، بلکه زخمیست که چرک کرده و هر از گاهی سر باز میکند. همین نگاه باعث میشود کتاب از نظر تماتیک همچنان به آن جهان بزرگتر گره بخورد، بیآنکه بخواهد دوباره همان حرفها را در مقیاس کلان تکرار کند.
با این حال، دقیقاً همین تمرکز محدود، جایی است که کتاب نسبت به دو جلد اصلی عقب میماند. اگر پاندومینیون در آن دو کتاب ذهن را به چالش میکشید، لایهلایه میشد و مدام افق دید خواننده را عقبتر میبرد، اینجا همهچیز زمینیتر است. کشمکشها شخصیترند و شوکهای مفهومی کمتر. داستان بیشتر از آنکه بخواهد جهانبینی تازهای عرضه کند، روی حالوهوای روایت، شخصیت و فضا سرمایهگذاری میکند. این انتخاب غلط نیست، اما برای کسی که انتظار همان ضربههای سنگین قبلی را دارد، طبیعتاً کمی کمرمقتر به نظر میرسد.
با این حساب، سه ستارهی «مثبت» دقیقاً توصیف درستی از تجربهی خواندن این کتاب است. نه ناامیدکننده است و نه فراموششدنی. یک وسترن علمیتخیلی خوشساخت است که در جهان پاندومینیون نفس میکشد، به آن احترام میگذارد، اما جاهطلبیِ فلسفی و کیهانیِ آن دو جلد را ندارد. اگر کسی بدون پیشزمینه واردش شود، احتمالاً حسابی کیف میکند؛ اما اگر با پاندومینیون زندگی کرده باشد، طبیعی است که حس کند این یکی بیشتر یک چرخش جذاب جانبیست تا یک ادامهی همسطح.
جذابترین نقطهی کتاب بدون تردید انتخاب فرم است. کری اینجا بهجای آن عظمت کیهانی و بازیهای مفهومیِ پاندومینیون، سراغ یک وسترن تمامعیار رفته است؛ وسترنی علمیتخیلی با همهی مؤلفههای آشنا: سرزمین مرزی، قانونِ شُل و ول، عدالتِ شخصی، اسلحهای که بیش از آنکه ابزار باشد، بارِ اسطورهای دارد، و شخصیتی که گذشتهاش مثل سایه دنبالش میآید. این ترکیب، به شکل جالبی خوب جواب داده. عناصر وسترن نه چسبانده شدهاند و نه صرفاً ژستاند؛ در تار و پود جهان نشستهاند و حتی زبان روایت هم رنگوبوی همان قصهگویی خشن و افسانهوارِ مرزهای تمدن را دارد.
داستان بیش از هر چیز بر شخصیتمحوری استوار است. ما با قهرمانی طرفیم که محصول خشونت، تبعیض و دروغهای بزرگِ ساختاری است؛ کسی که در جهانی زندگی میکند که «خدایانش» مردهاند، اما هنوز کسی جرئت نکرده واقعاً دفنشان کند. اینجا پاندومینیون دیگر یک امپراتوری فعال نیست، بلکه زخمیست که چرک کرده و هر از گاهی سر باز میکند. همین نگاه باعث میشود کتاب از نظر تماتیک همچنان به آن جهان بزرگتر گره بخورد، بیآنکه بخواهد دوباره همان حرفها را در مقیاس کلان تکرار کند.
با این حال، دقیقاً همین تمرکز محدود، جایی است که کتاب نسبت به دو جلد اصلی عقب میماند. اگر پاندومینیون در آن دو کتاب ذهن را به چالش میکشید، لایهلایه میشد و مدام افق دید خواننده را عقبتر میبرد، اینجا همهچیز زمینیتر است. کشمکشها شخصیترند و شوکهای مفهومی کمتر. داستان بیشتر از آنکه بخواهد جهانبینی تازهای عرضه کند، روی حالوهوای روایت، شخصیت و فضا سرمایهگذاری میکند. این انتخاب غلط نیست، اما برای کسی که انتظار همان ضربههای سنگین قبلی را دارد، طبیعتاً کمی کمرمقتر به نظر میرسد.
با این حساب، سه ستارهی «مثبت» دقیقاً توصیف درستی از تجربهی خواندن این کتاب است. نه ناامیدکننده است و نه فراموششدنی. یک وسترن علمیتخیلی خوشساخت است که در جهان پاندومینیون نفس میکشد، به آن احترام میگذارد، اما جاهطلبیِ فلسفی و کیهانیِ آن دو جلد را ندارد. اگر کسی بدون پیشزمینه واردش شود، احتمالاً حسابی کیف میکند؛ اما اگر با پاندومینیون زندگی کرده باشد، طبیعی است که حس کند این یکی بیشتر یک چرخش جذاب جانبیست تا یک ادامهی همسطح.
November 5, 2025
I’ll admit, for a while I had absolutely no idea what was going on in this book. Anthropomorphic western meets multi-dimensional sci-fi mystery? What? I suppose it is a testament to my faith in M.R. Carey as a writer that I stuck it out, because this turned out to be a brilliant book, and nothing at all like expected.
The book follows two points of view: Dog-Bitch Bess, a gunslinger outlaw, and V Esten, a military engineer. I won’t spoil how these two relate, but when it all comes together, it’s a satisfying cacophony of events you won’t see coming. It’s all a bit Westworld meets Redwall, if you can picture that at all.
As you’d expect, there is plenty of action. Gunfights, explosions, daring escapes. You know the drill - it’s a Western after all. It’s all brilliant, as you’d expect from Carey, and makes for thrilling reading. What I wasn’t expecting was some heartfelt character moments. Bess and Wakeful Slim (the sentient gun - keep up) are the emotional heart of the novel, giving us boisterous banter and earnest campfire heart to hearts. Their relationship is one of the best things about this book.
I reckon part of what some people are bouncing off with this book is the clash between the old timey Western prose of Bess’ chapters and the modern tone of Esten’s. I didn’t find this an issue. If anything, it gave the sci-fi elements a mysterious twist when they appeared. And again, not to spoil anything, but there is a logical reason for all this readers will discover later on.
Themes include resisting authoritarian oppression, AI sentience, and a not-so-subtle dig at the omnipresent stranglehold of media/cultural narratives. There’s a lot going on that at first isn’t apparent. I suppose that’s one point against the book - it takes a while to lay out its wares.
Overall, I loved this book. It’s unusual, for sure, but that’s a point in its favour, far as I’m concerned. I was not expecting the finale to be such an emotional gut punch, nor was I expecting a poignant and timely story amongst the explosions. To anyone put off by some of the current reviews, I’d say sod them and give Outlaw Planet a go. I think you’ll be surprised.
The book follows two points of view: Dog-Bitch Bess, a gunslinger outlaw, and V Esten, a military engineer. I won’t spoil how these two relate, but when it all comes together, it’s a satisfying cacophony of events you won’t see coming. It’s all a bit Westworld meets Redwall, if you can picture that at all.
As you’d expect, there is plenty of action. Gunfights, explosions, daring escapes. You know the drill - it’s a Western after all. It’s all brilliant, as you’d expect from Carey, and makes for thrilling reading. What I wasn’t expecting was some heartfelt character moments. Bess and Wakeful Slim (the sentient gun - keep up) are the emotional heart of the novel, giving us boisterous banter and earnest campfire heart to hearts. Their relationship is one of the best things about this book.
I reckon part of what some people are bouncing off with this book is the clash between the old timey Western prose of Bess’ chapters and the modern tone of Esten’s. I didn’t find this an issue. If anything, it gave the sci-fi elements a mysterious twist when they appeared. And again, not to spoil anything, but there is a logical reason for all this readers will discover later on.
Themes include resisting authoritarian oppression, AI sentience, and a not-so-subtle dig at the omnipresent stranglehold of media/cultural narratives. There’s a lot going on that at first isn’t apparent. I suppose that’s one point against the book - it takes a while to lay out its wares.
Overall, I loved this book. It’s unusual, for sure, but that’s a point in its favour, far as I’m concerned. I was not expecting the finale to be such an emotional gut punch, nor was I expecting a poignant and timely story amongst the explosions. To anyone put off by some of the current reviews, I’d say sod them and give Outlaw Planet a go. I think you’ll be surprised.
September 6, 2025
This book wasn’t necessarily bad but it didn’t have anything great about it either. It’s a sci-fi western with animal-human creatures which sounds fun but the delivery just wasn’t for me. The way he did his prose was a little different then what I’m used to with his work so didn’t enjoy that either. All in all I think most people will read it and say it was okay but wish they would have passed on it to read something else.
November 25, 2025
It’s not often these days that a book manages to take me completely by surprise. But M.R. Carey (also known as Mike Carey) pulled it off with this one.
This book is a standalone follow up to his excellent Pandominion duology. (I think you have to have read the Pandominion books to really appreciate this, but I’m not 100% certain on that) It’s on a world that has devolved from the high-tech of the Pandominion to a mid-to-late 19th century industrial level of technology, though with pieces of Pandominion tech still floating around - usable, if not understood. The protagonist is Bess, who is a species evolved to sentience from canine progenitors in the Pandominion multiverse grab-bag of species. After suffering a loss in a war that clearly draws inspiration from the US Civil War, she takes up the precursor-tech sentient AI gun Wakeful Slim and sets off for vengeance.
My initial feelings on this book, for the first 40% or so, were that it was … fine? The post-technological-collapse Pandominion setting didn’t really work, as the Pandominion was presented in the duology, but I kind of shrugged and said, “Carey wanted to write a Western in that setting with the mix of sentient species” and went with it. The war, with the agrarian slave society southern part of the country vs the abolitionist but still racist industrialized northern part, could have been more subtle in its inspiration, but again, he was writing a Western. The tropes are well-established, and a key one is the proud Southern soldier going West after the end of the war, unbowed and unbroken. As for Wakeful Slim, well, Carey has done the talking-AI-precursor-tech thing before, and frankly it was more interesting as a super kawaii MP3 player, but it's a fun idea and I didn’t mind going along for the ride.
I don’t want to say much more because of spoilers, but I will say that this did not go at all how I was expecting it to. Carey knew exactly what he was doing from the beginning, and there was nothing cliched about this. Like I said at the top, it’s not often any more that a book takes me completely, totally by surprise, but this one managed it. My status as a Mike Carey fanboy continues.
My blog
This book is a standalone follow up to his excellent Pandominion duology. (I think you have to have read the Pandominion books to really appreciate this, but I’m not 100% certain on that) It’s on a world that has devolved from the high-tech of the Pandominion to a mid-to-late 19th century industrial level of technology, though with pieces of Pandominion tech still floating around - usable, if not understood. The protagonist is Bess, who is a species evolved to sentience from canine progenitors in the Pandominion multiverse grab-bag of species. After suffering a loss in a war that clearly draws inspiration from the US Civil War, she takes up the precursor-tech sentient AI gun Wakeful Slim and sets off for vengeance.
My initial feelings on this book, for the first 40% or so, were that it was … fine? The post-technological-collapse Pandominion setting didn’t really work, as the Pandominion was presented in the duology, but I kind of shrugged and said, “Carey wanted to write a Western in that setting with the mix of sentient species” and went with it. The war, with the agrarian slave society southern part of the country vs the abolitionist but still racist industrialized northern part, could have been more subtle in its inspiration, but again, he was writing a Western. The tropes are well-established, and a key one is the proud Southern soldier going West after the end of the war, unbowed and unbroken. As for Wakeful Slim, well, Carey has done the talking-AI-precursor-tech thing before, and frankly it was more interesting as a super kawaii MP3 player, but it's a fun idea and I didn’t mind going along for the ride.
I don’t want to say much more because of spoilers, but I will say that this did not go at all how I was expecting it to. Carey knew exactly what he was doing from the beginning, and there was nothing cliched about this. Like I said at the top, it’s not often any more that a book takes me completely, totally by surprise, but this one managed it. My status as a Mike Carey fanboy continues.
My blog
November 25, 2025
I wish publishers were clearer in synopses about whether books are set in a pre-existing universe or referred at all to the order of the series they fall into. Having a phrase like "a stand alone set in the Pandominium universe" wouldn't have necessarily deterred me from picking up the book, since I pretty much snap up anything that's a space Western ever since falling in love with Firefly, but it would have set me up with clearer expectations.
This book is nothing like Firefly, but it was still a good space opera romp. Some of the disconnect I felt to the worldbuilding and characters is due to not having read the Pandominium duology, but I could still get a lot out of this fun book.
I couldn't tell if this was a prequel or set in the future from the duology, but this is a backstory for a spitfire character called Dog Bitch Bess. Originally a highborn lady whose family fell on hard times, Bess escapes to a frontier town and starts a new life as a schoolteacher. She falls for another schoolteacher, Martha, and the two have a cozy life together until war comes to their town, taking down a half-built schoolhouse and with it, Martha. Bess begins an epic revenge tale over her lost love, but little do they all know they're all doomed to keep fighting this never-ending war for shocking reasons.
The creatures in this world are part animal and part humanoid, which was an interesting element but the worldbuilding here didn't do it much justice apart from a fun premise for an alien. Their half-animal, half-human natures tended to become just part of the setting. But my disconnect with this probably relates to not having read the duology.
I found the science fiction element of the universe fascinating, however. I was frequently confused by what was going on until all was revealed. It was a very fun twist that I'd love to see more of in sci fi and made it less of a space opera than I thought. Two words that aren't a big spoiler: Quantum universes!
My favorite character of them all was Bess, the star of the show, a complicated, foolhardy rabble rouser who inspired people to become more than themselves. Although at times I wasn't sure about how I felt about this story, I was completely invested in Bess as a character. Finally, a man writing a woman well, and in sci fi too. The side characters in this were also strong. I loved her sweet friendship with the AI-powered gun, Wakeful Slim. Those two treated each other like equals and it was fun to watch their relationship evolve.
I was intrigued enough by the backstory that was hinted at that I'd be interested in reading the Pandominion duology after this. This is a very fun world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is nothing like Firefly, but it was still a good space opera romp. Some of the disconnect I felt to the worldbuilding and characters is due to not having read the Pandominium duology, but I could still get a lot out of this fun book.
I couldn't tell if this was a prequel or set in the future from the duology, but this is a backstory for a spitfire character called Dog Bitch Bess. Originally a highborn lady whose family fell on hard times, Bess escapes to a frontier town and starts a new life as a schoolteacher. She falls for another schoolteacher, Martha, and the two have a cozy life together until war comes to their town, taking down a half-built schoolhouse and with it, Martha. Bess begins an epic revenge tale over her lost love, but little do they all know they're all doomed to keep fighting this never-ending war for shocking reasons.
The creatures in this world are part animal and part humanoid, which was an interesting element but the worldbuilding here didn't do it much justice apart from a fun premise for an alien. Their half-animal, half-human natures tended to become just part of the setting. But my disconnect with this probably relates to not having read the duology.
I found the science fiction element of the universe fascinating, however. I was frequently confused by what was going on until all was revealed. It was a very fun twist that I'd love to see more of in sci fi and made it less of a space opera than I thought. Two words that aren't a big spoiler: Quantum universes!
My favorite character of them all was Bess, the star of the show, a complicated, foolhardy rabble rouser who inspired people to become more than themselves. Although at times I wasn't sure about how I felt about this story, I was completely invested in Bess as a character. Finally, a man writing a woman well, and in sci fi too. The side characters in this were also strong. I loved her sweet friendship with the AI-powered gun, Wakeful Slim. Those two treated each other like equals and it was fun to watch their relationship evolve.
I was intrigued enough by the backstory that was hinted at that I'd be interested in reading the Pandominion duology after this. This is a very fun world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 11, 2025
This was just great. I pre-ordered it on Audible and read it more or less immediately because one of my GR book clubs is reading it this month (December 2026).
I actually loved the conceit of a space western. It was a multi-layered, onion of a story and even though I haven’t read any of the other Pandominion books, the slow revealing and bringing together of all the elements really worked for me.
I really must read more of Carey’s books, because the 2 (this and The Girl with all the Gifts) that I have read I really liked a lot. I do own the Koli books. So that’s what I’ll do next.
I actually loved the conceit of a space western. It was a multi-layered, onion of a story and even though I haven’t read any of the other Pandominion books, the slow revealing and bringing together of all the elements really worked for me.
I really must read more of Carey’s books, because the 2 (this and The Girl with all the Gifts) that I have read I really liked a lot. I do own the Koli books. So that’s what I’ll do next.
November 17, 2025
The nitty-gritty: Stellar writing and characterization, imaginative world-building and unexpected emotional gut-punches make Outlaw Planet an unforgettable epic sci-fi adventure.
“I made my life into a story and threw it into the well of my children’s hind-brains, so deep I couldn’t hear the splash when it hit. Some day they’ll need me, the story goes, and on that day I’ll rise.”
Don’t believe any negative reviews you see for this book. Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think some readers are just giving up because they’re hoping for a quick, fast-paced story. Outlaw Planet is meticulously plotted, a sprawling space western that unfolds at its own pace. And although it isn’t being marketed as such, it’s clearly set in M.R. Carey’s Pandominion world. As far as I can tell, it takes place after Echo of Worlds, although the way the author weaves together different timelines, I could be completely off base. In any case, I don’t see any issues with starting here first, as it’s a self contained story with only brief references to the Pandominion. Carey has written (once again, I feel like I say this with all his books) an emotional and intimate character-focused story that is, at the same time, a grand, nail-biting adventure.
The story follows two main points of view. First we meet Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, a young school teacher who later—through circumstances—becomes a notorious outlaw known as Dog-Bitch Bess. Bess lives in a small town called Ottomankie, part of the State’s Union, a lawless place where raiders pillage and kill on a whim and life is very much lived on the edge. Not only that, but a war between the North and the South is brewing, sure to bring heartache to the many souls who live there. After one such skirmish where the woman Bess was in love with is killed and her schoolhouse is burned to the ground, Bess decides it’s time to leave. Hell bent on revenge, she’s aided by a strange gun she took from a dead man, a gun unlike anything else Bess has ever seen.
Calling himself Wakeful Slim, the gun is a rare Precursor weapon, said to be created by a long dead race of people. He also contains the soul of his previous owner, although who’s to say which owner that is, as Slim is very old. Slim is Bess’s best defense against her enemy, Paulus Rondeau, the very man who led the charge to destroy Ottomankie and was responsible for the death of her love Martha.
In alternating sections, we meet a group of soldiers led by an engineer named Vel Esten. It’s clear right away that Esten and his team are from a different time and place, with weaponry and technology far removed from anything in State’s Union. Esten’s team has used Step technology to go after a group of True Imperials, or “True Imps” as they call them. But the world they’ve Stepped to is unfamiliar, and they can’t find their quarry anywhere. As hours turn to days and months, the team realizes they can’t get home and they’re stuck in this strange land.
Slowly these two narratives come together, although Carey takes his time getting there. Bess’s story is the focus of Outlaw Planet, and she’s a fantastic character. I loved seeing her grow from an idealistic young woman to someone suffering great loss and needing to change her trajectory. Bess learns how to shoot a gun with such deadly skill that she becomes a legend, earning the name Dog-Bitch Bess. It doesn’t hurt that she owns an almost mythical gun that can not only kill in multiple ways and make its own bullets, but has the ability to use satellites to see what’s coming. But as deadly as she is, Bess cares deeply for her fellow citizens and doesn’t really want to hurt anyone. The reader gets to know Bess intimately over the course of the book, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the way Carey slowly developed her character.
Then there’s Wakeful Slim, a wonderful idea for a character (a character type Carey seems to revisit over and over—the sentient object). Slim’s story is both wondrous and shocking. It isn’t until the end of the book that all of his mind-blowing secrets are revealed, and by that time I was so invested emotionally in both Bess and Slim and their relationship with each other, that those reveals caught me completely off guard.
And while the characters alone make this an outstanding story, Carey’s worldbuilding is pretty amazing as well. State’s Union is a preindustrial society, much like the Wild West of the mid-to-late 1800s in the United States, complete with familiar elements like gun fights, slavery, segregation and more. Carey’s story mirrors our own history in some very uncomfortable ways, but instead of humans, this society is made up of sentient, anthropomorphic animals. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Bess is literally a dog (Labrador, in fact), and she’s surrounded by groundhogs, deer, bear, squirrels and more, all intelligent and able to speak. Carey doesn’t dwell on this, though, and to be honest, I often forgot that Bess and the others were anything other than human while I was reading.
There’s also a race of people called the Pugface, very similar to our own Indigenous people, and when the penny finally dropped and I realized “who” the Pugface were, so many little details came together and made sense.
As Carey’s story takes shape and all the pieces start snapping into place, I was literally blown away by what was going on. Story elements like the mysterious dream-towers, another Precursor weapon called Flycatcher, a Pugface named Dima Saraband (who turns out to be a very important character) and many more that I don’t have time to talk about show the depth of Carey’s creativity, which is one reason I keep coming back to his books. Outlaw Planet is not only a thrilling adventure, but a thought provoking work of imagination that will stick with me for a long time.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
“I made my life into a story and threw it into the well of my children’s hind-brains, so deep I couldn’t hear the splash when it hit. Some day they’ll need me, the story goes, and on that day I’ll rise.”
Don’t believe any negative reviews you see for this book. Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think some readers are just giving up because they’re hoping for a quick, fast-paced story. Outlaw Planet is meticulously plotted, a sprawling space western that unfolds at its own pace. And although it isn’t being marketed as such, it’s clearly set in M.R. Carey’s Pandominion world. As far as I can tell, it takes place after Echo of Worlds, although the way the author weaves together different timelines, I could be completely off base. In any case, I don’t see any issues with starting here first, as it’s a self contained story with only brief references to the Pandominion. Carey has written (once again, I feel like I say this with all his books) an emotional and intimate character-focused story that is, at the same time, a grand, nail-biting adventure.
The story follows two main points of view. First we meet Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, a young school teacher who later—through circumstances—becomes a notorious outlaw known as Dog-Bitch Bess. Bess lives in a small town called Ottomankie, part of the State’s Union, a lawless place where raiders pillage and kill on a whim and life is very much lived on the edge. Not only that, but a war between the North and the South is brewing, sure to bring heartache to the many souls who live there. After one such skirmish where the woman Bess was in love with is killed and her schoolhouse is burned to the ground, Bess decides it’s time to leave. Hell bent on revenge, she’s aided by a strange gun she took from a dead man, a gun unlike anything else Bess has ever seen.
Calling himself Wakeful Slim, the gun is a rare Precursor weapon, said to be created by a long dead race of people. He also contains the soul of his previous owner, although who’s to say which owner that is, as Slim is very old. Slim is Bess’s best defense against her enemy, Paulus Rondeau, the very man who led the charge to destroy Ottomankie and was responsible for the death of her love Martha.
In alternating sections, we meet a group of soldiers led by an engineer named Vel Esten. It’s clear right away that Esten and his team are from a different time and place, with weaponry and technology far removed from anything in State’s Union. Esten’s team has used Step technology to go after a group of True Imperials, or “True Imps” as they call them. But the world they’ve Stepped to is unfamiliar, and they can’t find their quarry anywhere. As hours turn to days and months, the team realizes they can’t get home and they’re stuck in this strange land.
Slowly these two narratives come together, although Carey takes his time getting there. Bess’s story is the focus of Outlaw Planet, and she’s a fantastic character. I loved seeing her grow from an idealistic young woman to someone suffering great loss and needing to change her trajectory. Bess learns how to shoot a gun with such deadly skill that she becomes a legend, earning the name Dog-Bitch Bess. It doesn’t hurt that she owns an almost mythical gun that can not only kill in multiple ways and make its own bullets, but has the ability to use satellites to see what’s coming. But as deadly as she is, Bess cares deeply for her fellow citizens and doesn’t really want to hurt anyone. The reader gets to know Bess intimately over the course of the book, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the way Carey slowly developed her character.
Then there’s Wakeful Slim, a wonderful idea for a character (a character type Carey seems to revisit over and over—the sentient object). Slim’s story is both wondrous and shocking. It isn’t until the end of the book that all of his mind-blowing secrets are revealed, and by that time I was so invested emotionally in both Bess and Slim and their relationship with each other, that those reveals caught me completely off guard.
And while the characters alone make this an outstanding story, Carey’s worldbuilding is pretty amazing as well. State’s Union is a preindustrial society, much like the Wild West of the mid-to-late 1800s in the United States, complete with familiar elements like gun fights, slavery, segregation and more. Carey’s story mirrors our own history in some very uncomfortable ways, but instead of humans, this society is made up of sentient, anthropomorphic animals. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Bess is literally a dog (Labrador, in fact), and she’s surrounded by groundhogs, deer, bear, squirrels and more, all intelligent and able to speak. Carey doesn’t dwell on this, though, and to be honest, I often forgot that Bess and the others were anything other than human while I was reading.
There’s also a race of people called the Pugface, very similar to our own Indigenous people, and when the penny finally dropped and I realized “who” the Pugface were, so many little details came together and made sense.
As Carey’s story takes shape and all the pieces start snapping into place, I was literally blown away by what was going on. Story elements like the mysterious dream-towers, another Precursor weapon called Flycatcher, a Pugface named Dima Saraband (who turns out to be a very important character) and many more that I don’t have time to talk about show the depth of Carey’s creativity, which is one reason I keep coming back to his books. Outlaw Planet is not only a thrilling adventure, but a thought provoking work of imagination that will stick with me for a long time.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
February 22, 2026
This author has an impressive imagination and never lets me down by failing to provide a clever story.
This book starts by introducing us to a really strange world (it is truly really, really weird!). It’s basically a Western, apparently set in a world closely modelled on a timeline before, during and after the American Civil War in ours. The strangest aspect that hits you early is that characters are based on all sorts of well known animals; dogs, bears, bison, squirrels, deer, etc., etc. You quickly ask yourself “What on earth is this, a reworked Narnia transposed to a Wild West setting?!”. Even a brief thought, “do I really want to read about animals with such developed anthropomorphic traits”? In fact, the species of the characters isn’t strongly emphasised and usually plays little role in the story though its cause eventually becomes clear.
A SciFi element also appears, leading to progressive reveals throughout the book that give more and more rationale to all this weirdness. The action isn’t constrained to just this world either…
It might seem a complex set up but the narrative concentrates on a fine lead character, Bess, and her personal journey through this mixed up world. I’m not too familiar with Westerns in fiction, not my bag usually, (some Elmore Leonard) but the atmosphere conjured up by the author worked well for me and wasn’t too clichéd. ‘Dog-Bitch Bess’, as she’s known, is particularly good because she isn’t a straight down the middle ‘white hatted’ goodie of a hero in this Western. She has her faults and prejudices. She sees and disapproves of cruelty and the bad actors in the story, but she compromises what she does to suit her purposes. And she’s stubborn to a fault. I think without her to anchor the story I might have struggled with the twists and turns in this tale, especially as the SciFi side comes to the fore, and sometimes takes us away from Bess’ story for a while.
For me, another Mike Carey triumph, and very different to the previous tales of his I’ve read. Though I do see signs that he has a fondness for using supporting AI based gadgets, as in the Rampart Trilogy.
For a story that started in such a bizarre world, but quickly pulled me fully into it, 5*.
This book starts by introducing us to a really strange world (it is truly really, really weird!). It’s basically a Western, apparently set in a world closely modelled on a timeline before, during and after the American Civil War in ours. The strangest aspect that hits you early is that characters are based on all sorts of well known animals; dogs, bears, bison, squirrels, deer, etc., etc. You quickly ask yourself “What on earth is this, a reworked Narnia transposed to a Wild West setting?!”. Even a brief thought, “do I really want to read about animals with such developed anthropomorphic traits”? In fact, the species of the characters isn’t strongly emphasised and usually plays little role in the story though its cause eventually becomes clear.
A SciFi element also appears, leading to progressive reveals throughout the book that give more and more rationale to all this weirdness. The action isn’t constrained to just this world either…
It might seem a complex set up but the narrative concentrates on a fine lead character, Bess, and her personal journey through this mixed up world. I’m not too familiar with Westerns in fiction, not my bag usually, (some Elmore Leonard) but the atmosphere conjured up by the author worked well for me and wasn’t too clichéd. ‘Dog-Bitch Bess’, as she’s known, is particularly good because she isn’t a straight down the middle ‘white hatted’ goodie of a hero in this Western. She has her faults and prejudices. She sees and disapproves of cruelty and the bad actors in the story, but she compromises what she does to suit her purposes. And she’s stubborn to a fault. I think without her to anchor the story I might have struggled with the twists and turns in this tale, especially as the SciFi side comes to the fore, and sometimes takes us away from Bess’ story for a while.
For me, another Mike Carey triumph, and very different to the previous tales of his I’ve read. Though I do see signs that he has a fondness for using supporting AI based gadgets, as in the Rampart Trilogy.
For a story that started in such a bizarre world, but quickly pulled me fully into it, 5*.
December 13, 2025
This is a loose follow-on from the Pandominium books, but can be read without having those.
October 22, 2025
I enjoyed reading The Girl with All the Gifts and was looking forward to reading this story but I found that I was confused to what was happening.
I just found out that this book was actually a continuation of the Pandominion series which I haven’t read so that probably was the problem. I would advise reading those books first.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I just found out that this book was actually a continuation of the Pandominion series which I haven’t read so that probably was the problem. I would advise reading those books first.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2026
Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey — 3/5 ⭐️
A gritty multiversal western with big ideas, brutal edges, and a protagonist who refuses to stay in the box the world built for her. But despite its ambition, it didn’t quite land the way I hoped.
Carey builds Bess—Dog‑Bitch Bess—as a character forged in fire, betrayal, and the weight of a gun with a history of its own. Wakeful Slim isn’t just a weapon; it’s a legacy, a burden, and a ghost whispering from another life. Watching Bess shift from teacher to outlaw to reluctant hero gives the story a strong emotional spine, and the inter‑dimensional war adds scale and strangeness that fans of cosmic‑leaning sci‑fi will appreciate.
Where it faltered for me was in the execution. The world is fascinating, but the pacing sometimes drags, and the narrative’s mythic tone keeps the story at arm’s length. I wanted more immersion, more connection, more time to feel the stakes rather than observe them. The ideas are bold, but the delivery didn’t fully match the promise.
Still, Bess’s journey—marked by pain, revelation, and the refusal to stay silent once she learns the truth—carries enough weight to make the read worthwhile, even if it wasn’t exactly the story I was hoping for.
Happy reading from The Void 🤠📚
A gritty multiversal western with big ideas, brutal edges, and a protagonist who refuses to stay in the box the world built for her. But despite its ambition, it didn’t quite land the way I hoped.
Carey builds Bess—Dog‑Bitch Bess—as a character forged in fire, betrayal, and the weight of a gun with a history of its own. Wakeful Slim isn’t just a weapon; it’s a legacy, a burden, and a ghost whispering from another life. Watching Bess shift from teacher to outlaw to reluctant hero gives the story a strong emotional spine, and the inter‑dimensional war adds scale and strangeness that fans of cosmic‑leaning sci‑fi will appreciate.
Where it faltered for me was in the execution. The world is fascinating, but the pacing sometimes drags, and the narrative’s mythic tone keeps the story at arm’s length. I wanted more immersion, more connection, more time to feel the stakes rather than observe them. The ideas are bold, but the delivery didn’t fully match the promise.
Still, Bess’s journey—marked by pain, revelation, and the refusal to stay silent once she learns the truth—carries enough weight to make the read worthwhile, even if it wasn’t exactly the story I was hoping for.
Happy reading from The Void 🤠📚
March 11, 2026
M.R. Carey can write a pretty wide range of fiction, that's for sure., I really enjoyed Outlaw Planet. I cool mix of Western and far out Sci-Fi. But light enough to just be fun. Nice setting with animal analogues for humans, a cool adventurous Western tale, and some big concept twists. Not very deep, but a lot of fun.
I LOVED Wakeful Slim!
I LOVED Wakeful Slim!
January 5, 2026
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2025/12/27/...
There was a time when picking up a new M.R. Carey novel was almost always a safe bet for me, but admittedly his work in recent years has been more hit-or-miss. That said, this is because he’s always pushing himself to try new ideas, which I admire, even when it doesn’t always click for me as a reader. His sci-fi in particular has grown increasingly cerebral and info-dense, packed with mind-blowing concepts that I can still appreciate on an intellectual level while struggling with the reading experience itself.
Outlaw Planet is once again Carey taking a big swing at something different, this time a genre mashup blending space opera and classic Western into a story that’s ambitious and strange, interesting even if it didn’t always hold my attention. As a note, while the novel is technically set in the same universe as his Pandominion books, it works perfectly well as a standalone, and no prior knowledge is required to jump right in. The sentient, bipedal characters featured here are animal-descended beings evolved from various Earth mammals in different parallel worlds, and the plot focuses primarily on Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, a canid-descended schoolteacher who journeys far from home to settle in a rough fronter town on the edge of the State’s Union. But when a brutal raid destroys her home and kills the woman she loves, Elizabeth joins a rebellion force, becoming the feared and infamous outlaw known as Dog-Bitch Bess.
Alongside Bess’s journey, the novel also introduces a second thread occurring in another timeline that follows Vel Esten, a military engineer involved with a Pandominion strike team that gets stranded on an unfamiliar world whose inhabitants are being enslaved and subjected to terrible experimentation. Our two storylines eventually converge, as Bess picks up an unlikely traveling companion in the form of sentient weapon of mysterious origin. Calling itself Wakeful Slim, the “smart gun” soon proves to be both the outlaw’s most powerful and faithful ally as well as one of the most intriguing aspects of the book.
As the author gradually pulls together the connections between his story threads and characters, they reveal a bigger picture with much to say about the hardships and injustices of a world caught in a forever war. A lot of this is accomplished through the world-building, portraying the setting as a harsh product of its history marked by centuries of colonialism and slavery. Its inhabitants are described as anthropomorphic animals, though their behaviors, motivations, and personalities are so similar to ours they might as well be humans. Not surprisingly, given the book title, Western tropes also abound with an overall sense of lawlessness with bandits, gunslingers, and dusty frontier towns.
That said, the sheer amount of content to digest means Outlaw Planet is not an especially fast or light read. The pacing is mixed, with some parts coming at you fast in erratic bursts while others drag, particularly the middle stretch when readers are still trying to figure out how everything is related. During those sections, there’s not much happening on the page while big movements are unfolding beneath surface. If it weren’t for the characters, I might have thought about putting this one aside, but Bess proved emotionally engaging enough that I felt invested in what happens to her. Every time we returned to her perspective, I felt invigorated again with my interest in the story renewed. Carey does a careful and meaningful job of showing Bess’s transformation through the different stages of her journey, and her relationship with Wakeful Slim manages to become humorous and unexpectedly moving all at once without it feeling gimmicky.
In the end, Outlaw Planet didn’t always hold my attention as strongly as I’d hoped, but it made up for that with some big ideas and standout characters. While it’s not even close to being my favorite novel by M.R. Carey, it’s also a solid and memorable one from him that I enjoyed. It’s perfect for readers looking for unique genre mashups and stories that aren’t afraid to explore some heavy, uncomfortable themes. As long as you’re prepared and willing to power through some slow moving bits, this book is an adventure worth checking out.
There was a time when picking up a new M.R. Carey novel was almost always a safe bet for me, but admittedly his work in recent years has been more hit-or-miss. That said, this is because he’s always pushing himself to try new ideas, which I admire, even when it doesn’t always click for me as a reader. His sci-fi in particular has grown increasingly cerebral and info-dense, packed with mind-blowing concepts that I can still appreciate on an intellectual level while struggling with the reading experience itself.
Outlaw Planet is once again Carey taking a big swing at something different, this time a genre mashup blending space opera and classic Western into a story that’s ambitious and strange, interesting even if it didn’t always hold my attention. As a note, while the novel is technically set in the same universe as his Pandominion books, it works perfectly well as a standalone, and no prior knowledge is required to jump right in. The sentient, bipedal characters featured here are animal-descended beings evolved from various Earth mammals in different parallel worlds, and the plot focuses primarily on Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, a canid-descended schoolteacher who journeys far from home to settle in a rough fronter town on the edge of the State’s Union. But when a brutal raid destroys her home and kills the woman she loves, Elizabeth joins a rebellion force, becoming the feared and infamous outlaw known as Dog-Bitch Bess.
Alongside Bess’s journey, the novel also introduces a second thread occurring in another timeline that follows Vel Esten, a military engineer involved with a Pandominion strike team that gets stranded on an unfamiliar world whose inhabitants are being enslaved and subjected to terrible experimentation. Our two storylines eventually converge, as Bess picks up an unlikely traveling companion in the form of sentient weapon of mysterious origin. Calling itself Wakeful Slim, the “smart gun” soon proves to be both the outlaw’s most powerful and faithful ally as well as one of the most intriguing aspects of the book.
As the author gradually pulls together the connections between his story threads and characters, they reveal a bigger picture with much to say about the hardships and injustices of a world caught in a forever war. A lot of this is accomplished through the world-building, portraying the setting as a harsh product of its history marked by centuries of colonialism and slavery. Its inhabitants are described as anthropomorphic animals, though their behaviors, motivations, and personalities are so similar to ours they might as well be humans. Not surprisingly, given the book title, Western tropes also abound with an overall sense of lawlessness with bandits, gunslingers, and dusty frontier towns.
That said, the sheer amount of content to digest means Outlaw Planet is not an especially fast or light read. The pacing is mixed, with some parts coming at you fast in erratic bursts while others drag, particularly the middle stretch when readers are still trying to figure out how everything is related. During those sections, there’s not much happening on the page while big movements are unfolding beneath surface. If it weren’t for the characters, I might have thought about putting this one aside, but Bess proved emotionally engaging enough that I felt invested in what happens to her. Every time we returned to her perspective, I felt invigorated again with my interest in the story renewed. Carey does a careful and meaningful job of showing Bess’s transformation through the different stages of her journey, and her relationship with Wakeful Slim manages to become humorous and unexpectedly moving all at once without it feeling gimmicky.
In the end, Outlaw Planet didn’t always hold my attention as strongly as I’d hoped, but it made up for that with some big ideas and standout characters. While it’s not even close to being my favorite novel by M.R. Carey, it’s also a solid and memorable one from him that I enjoyed. It’s perfect for readers looking for unique genre mashups and stories that aren’t afraid to explore some heavy, uncomfortable themes. As long as you’re prepared and willing to power through some slow moving bits, this book is an adventure worth checking out.
January 21, 2026
One of my favorite SF writer has done it again, surprised the hell out of me. the main story arc is a, wait for it, a Western, worthy of the genre. At first , as I read that maybe this story would be better serve if written by Mike Carey( the same guy as M.R.) in Graphic Novel Mode. But the the second story arc kicks in with universe from the Pandominion Series So this is really the 3rd book in the Pandominion . It is wildly imaginative but I expect that for M.R, Carey. Why you should read M,R, Carey
November 21, 2025
Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions
Score: 3.75/5 (rounded to 4/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Civil War-era Western sci-fi with animal-folk? A rootin-tootin’ feline outlaw heroine and her trusty… intelligent laser gun?
My fluffy ears are piqued.
M. R. Carey is quickly becoming a must-read author for me. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to review his grimdark fairytale Once Was Willem, as well as reviewing the second entry, Echo of Worlds, in his sci-fi duology, The Pandominion. Carey revisits the Pandominion, in this standalone story, Outlaw Planet.
Every one of his works has a unique, distinct, yet altogether immersive voice that pervades every inch of the craft of storytelling. Whether it was the futuristic-yet-all-too-human writing of The Pandominion, or the dark whimsical middle-English verbiage of Once Was Willem, Carey is a master of wearing the setting as a second skin, letting it flow into the vocabulary he uses, and the setpieces he creates.
Outlaw Planet follows the down-on-her-luck canine-folk Elizabeth, as she moves away from her snooty upbringing in the “civilized” North to the rustic, rural, western analog South. Her journey from well-meaning teacher to grizzled outlaw is a heartwrenching tale of conflict and misery. The world spits her back out as Dog-Bitch Bess, a gun-totin’ outlaw, along with her trusty sidearm, Wakeful Slim. Outlaw Planet is part sci-fi, part spaghetti western, with heaps of Civil-War era Americana, a blend that Carey blends seamlessly.
As constricting as the standalone format is, Carey manages to weave together a dense multi-timeline story, jumping between the bulk of the story which describes Bess’ struggles in the “present day” and a mysterious secondary timeline, following more stereotypical Pandominion-esque military-sci-fi shenanigans. The storylines, as we correctly surmise, explosively crash into each other, as subtle hints and nods become full-blown exposition to explain various aspects of Bess’ reality.
A case-study on chattel slavery and the bigotry against “the other” which sparked the civil war is a major cornerstone of Outlaw Planet, without painting the Union (States’ Union in this tale) as the noble heroes. Caught on the wrong side of the fence, Bess must challenge her own biases while she ironically fights “for” the slave-owning “South”, while navigating her own loss. The themes of displacement of natives (unkindly called “pugfaces”) by the “civilized folks” also form a core facet of this book. The parallels to American History being plain as day. Not to be content with these dense topics by themselves, Carey also blends in themes of humanistic AI and the treatment of a robotic self as an “other” in the Pandominion timeline, with the intelligent-sidearm, Wakeful Slim being the conduit of these discussions.
Outlaw Planet takes its time to start off, but hits the ground on all paws when the bullets start a-flyin! Carey expertly creates action-packed sequences which make you feel like you’re watching a Tarantino-western, or the Eastwood-westerns of years gone by.
While the “rootin-tootin’”-ness of it all will wear on some folks, Outlaw Planet emerges as a solid standalone, touching on themes that feel all-too-important in our current climate and discourse. Sci-Fi has always been a hyperbolic extrapolation on current-day issues and Outlaw Planet will be another worthy addition to that glorious tradition.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley.
Score: 3.75/5 (rounded to 4/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Civil War-era Western sci-fi with animal-folk? A rootin-tootin’ feline outlaw heroine and her trusty… intelligent laser gun?
My fluffy ears are piqued.
M. R. Carey is quickly becoming a must-read author for me. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to review his grimdark fairytale Once Was Willem, as well as reviewing the second entry, Echo of Worlds, in his sci-fi duology, The Pandominion. Carey revisits the Pandominion, in this standalone story, Outlaw Planet.
Every one of his works has a unique, distinct, yet altogether immersive voice that pervades every inch of the craft of storytelling. Whether it was the futuristic-yet-all-too-human writing of The Pandominion, or the dark whimsical middle-English verbiage of Once Was Willem, Carey is a master of wearing the setting as a second skin, letting it flow into the vocabulary he uses, and the setpieces he creates.
Outlaw Planet follows the down-on-her-luck canine-folk Elizabeth, as she moves away from her snooty upbringing in the “civilized” North to the rustic, rural, western analog South. Her journey from well-meaning teacher to grizzled outlaw is a heartwrenching tale of conflict and misery. The world spits her back out as Dog-Bitch Bess, a gun-totin’ outlaw, along with her trusty sidearm, Wakeful Slim. Outlaw Planet is part sci-fi, part spaghetti western, with heaps of Civil-War era Americana, a blend that Carey blends seamlessly.
As constricting as the standalone format is, Carey manages to weave together a dense multi-timeline story, jumping between the bulk of the story which describes Bess’ struggles in the “present day” and a mysterious secondary timeline, following more stereotypical Pandominion-esque military-sci-fi shenanigans. The storylines, as we correctly surmise, explosively crash into each other, as subtle hints and nods become full-blown exposition to explain various aspects of Bess’ reality.
A case-study on chattel slavery and the bigotry against “the other” which sparked the civil war is a major cornerstone of Outlaw Planet, without painting the Union (States’ Union in this tale) as the noble heroes. Caught on the wrong side of the fence, Bess must challenge her own biases while she ironically fights “for” the slave-owning “South”, while navigating her own loss. The themes of displacement of natives (unkindly called “pugfaces”) by the “civilized folks” also form a core facet of this book. The parallels to American History being plain as day. Not to be content with these dense topics by themselves, Carey also blends in themes of humanistic AI and the treatment of a robotic self as an “other” in the Pandominion timeline, with the intelligent-sidearm, Wakeful Slim being the conduit of these discussions.
Outlaw Planet takes its time to start off, but hits the ground on all paws when the bullets start a-flyin! Carey expertly creates action-packed sequences which make you feel like you’re watching a Tarantino-western, or the Eastwood-westerns of years gone by.
While the “rootin-tootin’”-ness of it all will wear on some folks, Outlaw Planet emerges as a solid standalone, touching on themes that feel all-too-important in our current climate and discourse. Sci-Fi has always been a hyperbolic extrapolation on current-day issues and Outlaw Planet will be another worthy addition to that glorious tradition.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley.
December 27, 2025
A fabulous story set in author M.R. Carey’s Pandominion universe, on an isolated world kept at a deliberately low level of technology, except for the presence of some weird white towers. This planet is populated by a variety of mammalian selves, and humans, all living through thousands of years of slavery and wars. The north of the continent the story takes place on is filled with selves who call themselve the Parity, while the south is called Southern by its selves.
The main character, Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, or “Bess” as she prefers, is a dog self. She is a former teacher and soldier, with deadly aim, wielding a sentient gun that is from the Pandominion.
The gun, 507m, was formerly a soldier in a Pandominion squad that got trapped on this world thousands of years earlier. The Pando squad had followed an enemy squad, in fact the very last squad of an adversary, who called themselves the True Imperials. Neither of the squads were able to leave this planet after stepping onto this world, thanks to things the Imps had done to the Step tech they were using.
Carey gives us two timelines: what the Pando squad did on this planet, and Bess’ life after she leaves her Parity family and establishes herself as a teacher in the Southern territory, finding a vocation and a life partner, Martha.
The whole continent soon devolves into another war, with a squad of brutal Parity soldiers riding through Bess’ town, destroying it, and giving her nothing but vengeance in return. Which she gives in to, and gains her new moniker, Dog-Bitch Bess, who, along with the sentient gun, who now goes by the name Wakeful Slim, deal out terrible violence, and set a huge Parity bounty on her head, post-war.
The world has a western setting, with huge swaths of land desert-like; people use huge arthropods to travel and haul wagons, and the world feels very much like it’s stuck in an 1850s-1880s time period.
While it is not critical to have read Carey’s Pandominion duology, it certainly provides extra depth and background to this book, which is a compelling and gripping narrative with many strange things, and people not living terribly harmoniously.
Bess is tough as nails. When we first meet her she is someone who is intelligent, doesn't suffer fools, is a little cold and unquestioning of the way things work. And she becomes fearsome, calculating, and ruled by pain and anger, though her friendship with Slim shows a slightly softer side of her, once they’re not actually engaged in combat.
Both Bess and Slim are great characters whom I felt so much for, and their friendship deepened my love for what was a story I feel in love with soon after I started it.
There is also Mur Ghrent, an old human man who falls in with Bess. He’s a person who’s at the end of his rope, until he meets Bess, and proves a steady and surprisingly staunch friend. And Dima Saraband, who holds critical knowledge about the world, and who has a vital and urgent role to play.
Carey’s Pandominion duology is fantastic, and this novel is a gripping and emotionally resonant story, and a worthy follow up, or accompaniment. I loved, loved , loved Bess and Slim, this messed up world, and the whole tragic, violent story, whose ending had me in both happy and sad . Awesome!
Thank you to NetGalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The main character, Elizabeth Indigo Sandpiper, or “Bess” as she prefers, is a dog self. She is a former teacher and soldier, with deadly aim, wielding a sentient gun that is from the Pandominion.
The gun, 507m, was formerly a soldier in a Pandominion squad that got trapped on this world thousands of years earlier. The Pando squad had followed an enemy squad, in fact the very last squad of an adversary, who called themselves the True Imperials. Neither of the squads were able to leave this planet after stepping onto this world, thanks to things the Imps had done to the Step tech they were using.
Carey gives us two timelines: what the Pando squad did on this planet, and Bess’ life after she leaves her Parity family and establishes herself as a teacher in the Southern territory, finding a vocation and a life partner, Martha.
The whole continent soon devolves into another war, with a squad of brutal Parity soldiers riding through Bess’ town, destroying it, and giving her nothing but vengeance in return. Which she gives in to, and gains her new moniker, Dog-Bitch Bess, who, along with the sentient gun, who now goes by the name Wakeful Slim, deal out terrible violence, and set a huge Parity bounty on her head, post-war.
The world has a western setting, with huge swaths of land desert-like; people use huge arthropods to travel and haul wagons, and the world feels very much like it’s stuck in an 1850s-1880s time period.
While it is not critical to have read Carey’s Pandominion duology, it certainly provides extra depth and background to this book, which is a compelling and gripping narrative with many strange things, and people not living terribly harmoniously.
Bess is tough as nails. When we first meet her she is someone who is intelligent, doesn't suffer fools, is a little cold and unquestioning of the way things work. And she becomes fearsome, calculating, and ruled by pain and anger, though her friendship with Slim shows a slightly softer side of her, once they’re not actually engaged in combat.
Both Bess and Slim are great characters whom I felt so much for, and their friendship deepened my love for what was a story I feel in love with soon after I started it.
There is also Mur Ghrent, an old human man who falls in with Bess. He’s a person who’s at the end of his rope, until he meets Bess, and proves a steady and surprisingly staunch friend. And Dima Saraband, who holds critical knowledge about the world, and who has a vital and urgent role to play.
Carey’s Pandominion duology is fantastic, and this novel is a gripping and emotionally resonant story, and a worthy follow up, or accompaniment. I loved, loved , loved Bess and Slim, this messed up world, and the whole tragic, violent story, whose ending had me in both happy and sad . Awesome!
Thank you to NetGalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
January 3, 2026
ебанина какая-то, прости Господи
October 13, 2025
Thank you so much to Orbit Books for an advanced copy of this story. I was excited to read this book by M. R. Carey as I have previously enjoyed books by him such as The Girl with All the Gifts, but this book unfortunately was a miss for me. The premise of the book sounded unlike any book I had read before which initially drew me to the story. I found that the writing did not help me form an emotional attachment to main character, Dog-Bitch Bess, which made it hard for me to fully invest in the story. The first 33% of the book felt like unnecessary backstory that could have been completely cut out because it did not help to build her character well. I felt like I was reading a statement of facts about Bess’ life, not reading Bess’ story, which may have been the point, but it was not for me. The book was not gripping until the alternate point of view was introduced, only to be thrown back into Bess’ story. I felt that the story really began about 60% of the way through when Bess was introduced to Dima and Ghrent. After that point, I did enjoy the book significantly more. It was interesting story with parallels to the coming for Christ which did have a satisfying ending for the characters. Overall, I did not love this book and felt that I was forcing myself through the first half and every time it became more interesting, I was brought right back to repetitive world building. The repetition may have been intended to prove a point, but as a reader, it did not feel justified.
November 28, 2025
Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey is a space opera Western following two POVs – Bess, a frontier schoolteacher turned militia member seeking revenge, and Esten, an engineer attached to a unit fighting a battle for the future of a multiverse of worlds. In these worlds, anthropomorphic animals of various kinds – dog people, beaver people, cat people, and so on – coexist, having evolved simultaneously. Bess’ perspective is very much written in Western language/style, whereas Esten’s appears in the form of mission reports. There is a lot going on – themes of historical cycles of conflict, AI sentience, colonization, and some not-at-all-subtle reflections on the Western as a genre and the US civil war context in particular – but it all comes together in a satisfying way.
This book links up with Carey’s Pandominion duology of novels. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed those. I would also say that this novel could absolutely be read as a standalone (in ways that the second in the Pandominion duology, Echo of Worlds, absolutely cannot) – the plot is entirely self-contained and there is no character overlap between this and the other Pandominion books. While having some knowledge of the Pandominion as a multiverse concept would add to one’s understanding, it would be in no way vital to enjoying the story and following what’s going on.
Content warnings: violence, gun violence, murder, death, war, kidnapping, animal death, injury detail, blood, colonization, eugenics, sexism, misogyny, rape (mentioned only – not on-page), slavery, xenophobia, grief
Thank you to Orbit, NetGalley, & the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
This book links up with Carey’s Pandominion duology of novels. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed those. I would also say that this novel could absolutely be read as a standalone (in ways that the second in the Pandominion duology, Echo of Worlds, absolutely cannot) – the plot is entirely self-contained and there is no character overlap between this and the other Pandominion books. While having some knowledge of the Pandominion as a multiverse concept would add to one’s understanding, it would be in no way vital to enjoying the story and following what’s going on.
Content warnings: violence, gun violence, murder, death, war, kidnapping, animal death, injury detail, blood, colonization, eugenics, sexism, misogyny, rape (mentioned only – not on-page), slavery, xenophobia, grief
Thank you to Orbit, NetGalley, & the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
March 3, 2026
Having really enjoyed Carey's previous books about the fall of the "Pandominion," an imperialist enterprise based on playing the concept of the multi-verse to the hilt, I was delighted to discover that there was a new novel in that setting.
However, much of your enjoyment of this novel is going to be based on how much you like pastiches of "Westerns." I generally don't, and so while this novel isn't bad, it really didn't grab my imagination. Eventually, the pastiche merges with the story about the overthrow of the effort to bring back the Pandominion, but that happened too late in the story to alter my opinion. Your mileage may differ.
Actual rating: 3.5. Under different circumstances I might have gotten more out of this novel.
However, much of your enjoyment of this novel is going to be based on how much you like pastiches of "Westerns." I generally don't, and so while this novel isn't bad, it really didn't grab my imagination. Eventually, the pastiche merges with the story about the overthrow of the effort to bring back the Pandominion, but that happened too late in the story to alter my opinion. Your mileage may differ.
Actual rating: 3.5. Under different circumstances I might have gotten more out of this novel.
March 9, 2026
Is M.R. Carey becoming a new favorite for me? I think so.
This book starts ostensibly as a Western, about a bunch people who are kind of like two-legged animal/humans who live in sort of an analogous America set around or before the Civil War. There are small towns, train robberies, etc. The main character moves out west to find herself, becomes a teacher, falls in love with her fellow teacher, and then when her love is killed, she joins up with the resistance to get revenge against those who killed her lover.
But it's also kind of about a multiverse with a larger conflict, and we learn the secrets of the setting and what those mysterious towers are about.
Oh yeah and there's a sentient gun.
This book was a lot of fun.
This book starts ostensibly as a Western, about a bunch people who are kind of like two-legged animal/humans who live in sort of an analogous America set around or before the Civil War. There are small towns, train robberies, etc. The main character moves out west to find herself, becomes a teacher, falls in love with her fellow teacher, and then when her love is killed, she joins up with the resistance to get revenge against those who killed her lover.
But it's also kind of about a multiverse with a larger conflict, and we learn the secrets of the setting and what those mysterious towers are about.
Oh yeah and there's a sentient gun.
This book was a lot of fun.
December 19, 2025
4.5 stars
I loved this WEIRD book. Western. Time/multiverse shenanigans. Sentient side arms. Furry Wyatt Earp. You read that right.
Are you intrigued? Please read this so we can discuss.
I loved this WEIRD book. Western. Time/multiverse shenanigans. Sentient side arms. Furry Wyatt Earp. You read that right.
Are you intrigued? Please read this so we can discuss.
March 7, 2026
Slow read and I am trying to decide whether the ending made it all worthwhile. The Civil War and the desert trek chapters went on for way too long.
November 24, 2025
This is a good story - I enjoyed it and I recommend you read it - but I have to concede that it isn't Carey's best book.
But even when Carey isn't on top form he still tells a cracking good story. This book is set in his Pandominium universe, and while I have not read either of the two Pandominium books I found that didn't matter as the book provides all the background you need. The book is bursting with great ideas and his characters are convincingly drawn. It's just that some of the plot is a little unconvincing and you'll need to flex your "suspension of disbelief" muscles many times throughout the book. Assuming you can manage this you're in for a treat!
But even when Carey isn't on top form he still tells a cracking good story. This book is set in his Pandominium universe, and while I have not read either of the two Pandominium books I found that didn't matter as the book provides all the background you need. The book is bursting with great ideas and his characters are convincingly drawn. It's just that some of the plot is a little unconvincing and you'll need to flex your "suspension of disbelief" muscles many times throughout the book. Assuming you can manage this you're in for a treat!
December 24, 2025
Kind of all over the place, as if the author wasn’t sure what kind of book he wanted to write. Is it a Western or a science-fiction? Is it about the past or the future? Mind control or gunfire? Well, yes.
November 27, 2025
OK, so it's a gunslinging Western, but the people are all animals. Also there's a spaceship. Sounds weird but I am willing to go where MR Carey takes me. And I'm so glad I did!
This novel hits the three things I look for in speculative fiction: a great story, great characters, and some ideas to make you think.
Bess and Slim are awesome, and their friendship was the highlight of this novel. She's a dog, he's a gun. Their time is reminiscent of the US Civil War, but as they dig deeper (sometimes literally) there's a lot more going on under the surface.
Highly recommended if you are open minded to something a bit different. 4.5 stars.
This novel hits the three things I look for in speculative fiction: a great story, great characters, and some ideas to make you think.
Bess and Slim are awesome, and their friendship was the highlight of this novel. She's a dog, he's a gun. Their time is reminiscent of the US Civil War, but as they dig deeper (sometimes literally) there's a lot more going on under the surface.
Highly recommended if you are open minded to something a bit different. 4.5 stars.
November 23, 2025
When I read the first of M.R.Carey's Pandominion novels I assumed it was the start of a trilogy, so was pleasantly surprised when the second book wrapped everything up - saving me from middle trilogy book syndrome. But I wonder if he signed a three book deal for it, because Outlaw Planet is a standalone Pandominion novel: in theory. Actually, it stands alone even within its own setting, being about a planet that is cut off from the rest of the myriad parallel Earth's that make up the Pandominium upon which an experiment is being played out, an experiment that makes this world in itself very different from others in the Pandominium which broadly have one domiant species on them. On this planet (or continent, it turns out), there are a large range of intelligent mammals, from dominant dogs, to otters and most other large US mammals. But we are mainly interested in Dog Bitch Bess - which the opening has to admit is broadly tautologous when she is a female Labrador person. But perhaps captures that she is not a good girl.
Outlaw Planet, despite its title and cover, is basically a Western. Dog Bitch Bess was once a schoolmarm in a Southern school, until a Civil War broke out with the North and a raiding party destroyed her school, and her Otter person girlfriend. Carey does his usual careful wordbuilding here, but it is all in service of a very transparent US Civil War analog (and the oddly disturbing thought that our heroine ends up fighting for the analogue of the Confederacy). The Pandominion books have been partially about the idea of parallel evolution, but this is so close it seems ridiculous. Luckily the part of my mind that was concerned with how this whole scenario would be justified was placated by the side of my brain that was enjoying the rowdy and rough riding ways of Dog Bitch Bess and her talking super-rifle. So there are still some sci-fi angles here.
I have to admit I didn't find the explanation very convincing: oddly it's the kind of plot that would have worked better in a Star Trek episode than within the diversity of the Pandominion. The clunk of the plot is a minor hiccup, though, the initial Western pastiche, the chase narrative and the final revelation are a killer plot engine, and Dog Bitch Bess is a terrific, if ornery, lead character. I just am not convinced of it as a standalone tale of the Pandominion.
Outlaw Planet, despite its title and cover, is basically a Western. Dog Bitch Bess was once a schoolmarm in a Southern school, until a Civil War broke out with the North and a raiding party destroyed her school, and her Otter person girlfriend. Carey does his usual careful wordbuilding here, but it is all in service of a very transparent US Civil War analog (and the oddly disturbing thought that our heroine ends up fighting for the analogue of the Confederacy). The Pandominion books have been partially about the idea of parallel evolution, but this is so close it seems ridiculous. Luckily the part of my mind that was concerned with how this whole scenario would be justified was placated by the side of my brain that was enjoying the rowdy and rough riding ways of Dog Bitch Bess and her talking super-rifle. So there are still some sci-fi angles here.
I have to admit I didn't find the explanation very convincing: oddly it's the kind of plot that would have worked better in a Star Trek episode than within the diversity of the Pandominion. The clunk of the plot is a minor hiccup, though, the initial Western pastiche, the chase narrative and the final revelation are a killer plot engine, and Dog Bitch Bess is a terrific, if ornery, lead character. I just am not convinced of it as a standalone tale of the Pandominion.
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