Review of The Last Bush Pilots

[Theana De lima Araujo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Last Bush Pilots" by Eric Auxier.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Finding his job to be a mundane and pointless task not befitting of his ambitions, a young pilot throws himself out of his comfort zone, into new territory. Apprehensive at the colder climate of his Alaskan surroundings, DC realises that he is perhaps not as experienced as he thought he was. This green, young man still has much to grasp about his chosen profession. Around him, veterans of the company he works for, give him advice and engage his interest in understanding this enthralling, albeit dangerous terrain. While there is much to do with flying, the novel dives into the fascinating topic of human relationships in all its joy, grit, humour and pain.

There is a lot to praise about this novel. Author and pilot Eric Auxier creatively references his own nostalgia and memories of flying to make the story believable. ‘The Last Bush Pilots', through the use and explanation of pilot jargon, allows the reader to fall deeper into the textual world Auxier has constructed. A great deal of care is afforded to character development. The characters are well-rounded and they do not rely on stereotypes. Each character is distinct with their own personality and challenges that impact their opinions as well as actions. Even though the novel is written in third-person, the diction changes when focusing on an individual, helping the reader gain an almost first-person insight into the character's thoughts. The vocabulary is broad and effective at building a descriptive narrative. Additionally, incorporating words from different dialects and Alaskan colloquialisms adds variation to the reading.

Negative criticisms are minor. As a matter of preference, I do not favour that the book gives away some details in the beginning, within the preface. I am aware it is a well-used device to capture the reader’s interest, but it would be better if the author instead revealed which situations are based on actual events at the end of the book. Seeing as the preface is standard procedure, I will not remove points for it. Auxier’s novel is masterfully constructed, as such there is not much to improve on. Despite the book having a publisher, there are some perceived editing errors and no accredited editor.

The rating is 4 out of 4, the book is excellent and has many great aspects to it, such as the pilot’s jargon and the mention of other languages and cultures. The book is an estimated 60 000 words which place it in the category of novel. Often the danger with novels is that there can be plot holes wherein the author loses sight of a subplot or a minor detail that goes unexplained or unanswered. In this novel every minute narrative detail is accounted for, making for a satisfying read. Although there are a few slight improvements to be made, it does not justify taking away a whole star. If it were possible, 3.8 stars would be a justified rating. The few editing errors makes a couple of sentences unclear. Other than that, the novel is a highly recommended, enthralling read that takes on a unique perspective of aviation and the challenges accompanying it.

The book is suitable for young adults and adults who enjoy fictitious adventure novels grounded in reality. There is some suggestive sexual content, though not graphic enough to call it explicit. Profanity is evident but used only to elevate a character's personality or the meaning of a scene. Overall, ‘The Last Bush Pilots’ is recommended to those who enjoy exciting, dramatic and danger-filled novels that depict a character adjusting to the new course his life has taken.

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The Last Bush Pilots
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[MsH2k]

While there is much to do with flying, the novel dives into the fascinating topic of human relationships in all its joy, grit, humour and pain.

It sounds like this book has a nice balance of technical and relationship aspects. Thank you for your thorough review!