BURKE AND THE WAR OF 1812 by Tom Williams @TomCW99 #RBRT

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: military historical fiction, one of a series, all of which are stand-alone.

A terrific book.  I didn't know anything about this war (as outlined on the cover), and found the whole account (fiction based on fact) absolutely fascinating.

James Burke and his sidekick William Brown, an NCO in the regular army, are sent to certain areas of the developing US, under instruction to persuade the First Nation warriors to fight with Britain and Canada against the US.  They must also find out they whens and hows of the coming attack in order to deliver this intelligence to the British - which means going 'under cover' as fur traders, to the Shawnee.

I have not read much at all about the early part of the 19th Century, and it struck me how different it was from the later part of the century, when the 'Second Industrial Revolution' was taking place; Burke's world was before technology started to speed up.  The descriptions of their day-to-day life and the ways of the First Nations absorbed me; the book is extremely well-researched without making one overly aware of this, which is an art in itself.  I also enjoyed the detail about America itself, wondering what Burke would have thought had he known what the country would become.

James Burke is a man of his class and time, and Tom Williams is confident enough not to worry about reflecting this, which was appreciated.  I liked the character of William Brown very much, and found Chapter 4, in particular, absolutely riveting - this is the first chapter from his rather than Burke's POV.

Highly recommended.

NEW BEGINNINGS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND by Lorna Hunting

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Twitter

In a Nutshell: Historical drama set in late 19th Century NW England and Canada.

This is such a 'readable' book, it flows so well and I galloped through it.  Starting in Whitehaven in Cumbria, NW England, at the end of the 19th century, its main character is a coal miner called Stag who becomes embroiled in a nasty case of blackmail and considers that an offer to emigrate to Vancouver Island in Canada, to start a new life in the land of opportunity, might make for a sound move.

As the families from Whitehaven wait to board ship in Liverpool, we meet the other main character - Kate McAvoy, the daughter of a schoolmaster who doesn't want to leave England.  Once aboard, both the families in steerage and the middle class, like Kate, experience something of a rude awakening about life on board a ship for six whole months.  Part two takes us to Vancouver Island, and the emigrants' first year.

There's a romantic element to this novel, though it's woven into the story in such a way that it won't bother non-romance readers (like me!) - it's just part of what happens to the characters.  In Part Two, affairs of the heart come up against some intriguing obstacles, which kept me interested - I'd say the primary genre of the story, though, is historical family drama.  Despite a few tragedies, the mood of the book is quite light, and I think it would appeal to anyone who likes this genre as the writing itself is most accessible and it's clearly very well researched.  I certainly enjoyed it and will be reading the sequel before I am much older!

YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL FROM THE PRAIRIE by Darlene Foster @supermegawoman

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Read about it on Sally Cronin's blog

In a Nutshell: See cover!

This book is an absolute delight, and made me want to go back to the 50s and 60s to live Darlene Foster's childhood!  It's unusual for me to give 5 stars to a short book of short stories, but I was completely absorbed by this, an insight into a world so different from my own.  I could have easily carried on reading more, and was sad when it ended.

Darlene grew up on a farm in the prairies of Alberta, and some of the stories tell of her family and how they got to be there in the first place (A Tale of Two Katharinas - fascinating).  My favourite story was A Hero in a Pickup Truck, about her late father, which reminded me of my own.  I also loved Warm Hugs, about her 10th birthday and her love for her grandmother.

Darlene's deep attachment to her family shines through in all the stories, which are so beautifully written.  By the end of the book, when I read that they'd all, at different times, moved to the city, I felt nostalgic for a life I'd never known.

Loved it.  It's a real gem - and you can make the family photos larger on the Kindle version, in order to study them!

MOUNTAIN MAN: PREQUEL by Keith C Blackmore @KeithCB1

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read the rest of the series, so this one appeared to me on Amazon!

In a Nutshell: Prequel to the 5 book Mountain Man series - the outbreak

I was so pleased to discover this - the first Mountain Man book starts a while into the zombie apocalypse, so it was great to find out how Gus got to where he is in Book #1.  Also - and I am sure I am not alone here - I always find the most exciting part of any post apoc series to be the very start, when people think 'something is happening, but maybe it'll be okay' - then come to the slow realisation that it's the very opposite, and life as they know it was breaking down even as they were kidding themselves.

In this prequel we see Gus in his pre-zombie days as a painter (of the decorating sort), on an emergency job during what will be his last normal evening of his life.  We see the night turn to shit as he is stranded in a shopping mall with a couple of work friends and a bunch of random people, wanting only to get back to the woman he loves.

The main characters (Gus and his friend Toby, mostly) are well-rounded and realistic, and the dialogue is great.  During the first half of the book I felt certain parts could have been edited down a bit, or just given a bit more spit and polish, but as Gus's plight gains momentum in the second half of the book I no longer cared; the last thirty per cent, in particular, is riveting.  

I still think Books #1 - #3 are the best of this series, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, too.  If you love zombie series, or any post apoc, I can't recommend this series too highly.  Definitely going to have a crack at some of Mr Blackmore's horror books, too :).

MAKE ME KING by Keith C Blackmore @KeithCB1

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com

How I discovered this book:  Had read the rest of this series, so Amazon 'told' me when this one was out.

In a Nutshell: Book #5 of a zombie apocalypse series (Canada), but I'd say it stands up fairly well as a stand alone.

I read the first 4 books of this series some time ago and have a pretty lousy memory (I can't remember how book #4 turned out at all), but this was still fine to read on its own—however, I would most certainly recommend reading the first 3 books first, in particular, as they are a stunningly good example of their type, and steer away from many of the genre standards.

In Blackmore's post zombie apocalypse world, several years on, the 'mindless' have faded out... most of them, anyway.  All that's left is an empty world... or not so empty.  Gus, Scott and his friends are living on an island, but supplies must still be found.  Which is where the trouble starts.

I adored the first half of this book, with its sinister alternate chapters from the point of view of some bad guys - later, it features some of the best escape-from-zombies chapters I've read.  I was not so keen on the last 30-40%, which takes place in a bunker inside a mountain, because I could no longer picture it, despite there being much detail; a lot of this-happened-then-that-happened; scenes that would have worked brilliantly on screen but I didn't think translated so well to a book.  However, there were still some great plot developments, and it kept me reading.

If you like the horror end of the post apoc genre, I can't recommend Books #1 and #3 highly enough. 

FRED'S FUNERAL by Sandy Day @sandeetweets

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

Genre: Family drama, history

Fred's Funeral is a long novella, beginning with the death of Fred Sadler, in 1986.  As he dies, his ghost floats up and observes his relatives at his bedside, and follows them to the funeral and back to his family home as they share their memories of him.  The book then dips back and forth between present and past, to his childhood in Jackson Point, near Toronto, to his horrific experiences in the First World War, to the many years afterwards when he was trying to find his feet.

Fred led a difficult life, always the outsider.  His family history is complicated, with many undercurrents, resentments and complex issues.  Little went right for him after WW1, which was, of course, closely followed by the Depression.  He suffered from shell shock for many, many years, but this was not understood in those days; his family tried to get him a disabled war veteran pension, or into a hospital for those who suffered with this malady, but they were to discover that the doctors were in cahoots with the military: if a patient was diagnosed with a different sort of mental illness, the War Office would not have to pay.

Fred is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and goes through much in the various hospitals he is sent to.

As Ghost Fred watches his family, he feels in turn angry, misunderstood, unloved and, occasionally, pleased by what he hears.  He was thought of as 'mad old Fred', and there is much in this book that is so sad; it made me want to find the younger man and make everything alright for him.  As the book dots about between times, I kept being lifted out of one era and put down in another but they fit together nicely, I became quickly engrossed in every snapshot of his life, and gradually the jigsaw fitted together.

The book is so readable and well written, and I enjoyed how the story built up, not only in Fred's life but from a sociological history point of view.  It's interesting (if frustrating) from the point of view of family wrangles, and builds such a tragic picture of the poor men caught up in the pointless carnage of WW1.  I really liked it.

SQUALL by Sean Costello @SeanCostello51

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book:  Amazon browse.  Attracted by the title (I love anything about disaster in terrible weather).  Liked the blurb, and it was free.  It's a short book, only 178 pages on Kindle.

The blurb:
Bush pilot and family man Tom Stokes is about to face the worst day of his life. On a clear winter morning, he sets out to do some repairs on a remote hunt camp, leaving his five-year-old son and very pregnant wife snug in their beds.

On the return trip, a squall forces him into an emergency landing and he winds up—quite literally—in the lap of petty criminal Dale Knight. Dale, now a fugitive from the law—and worse, from a merciless drug lord who just happens to be his brother—draws Tom into a web of mayhem and treachery that puts not only his life at risk, but the lives of his wife, son . . . and unborn child.

I quite enjoyed this.  It alternates from various points of view all the way through, which I liked, the pace is fast, the dialogue good, the characters clear and well-defined.  It didn't quite hit the spot, though; it was a nearly-but-not-quite for me as far as the storytelling itself was concerned.  There's a bit of sloppy proofreading (words like 'defuse' that should be 'diffuse') that wouldn't have bothered me if I'd really loved it.  

The story is good, and mostly well thought out, with some nicely psychopathic killers, a ruthless slapper, a likeable junkie, and, of course, the 'goodies' ~ Tom and his family.  There are some dodgy plot points, though, such as why Tom would have gone out in a flimsy plane to repair a building (that could have waited) when a severe storm was on its way, especially when it was his and his beloved son's birthday and his wife was about to give birth.  Then the whole reason why the aforementioned killers find his house - he left his wallet in the plane after it crashed into the house in which Dale was taking a bath.  Seemed completely out of character for someone so conscientious, especially considering that his license was in it, and he knew Dale was being hunted by dangerous people.  

It's like a less compelling Blake Crouch novel.  I'd try something else by this author, though.

HELLIFAX (Mountain Man #3) by Keith C Blackmore

5 GOLD stars

Zombie Apocalypse/Horror

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

What a belter of a book this was!  I've reviewed part one of the series HERE, and part two HERE, loved them both but suspected this one might be even better, and it was.  I believe it could be read as a stand alone, as any info needed from the other books is given, and this is a whole new adventure with many new characters.

The main character is Scott, who became friends with mountain man Gus in the first book ~ this follows his fortunes as he sets off for Halifax (Canada, not Yorkshire!) to seek out the evil Tenner, who massacred his friends.  In 'Hellifax' Scott meets up with a new group, martial arts student and teacher Amy and Vick, and former cop Buckle, amongst others.  The book's written partly from his POV and partly from that of psychopath Tenner ~ and, talking of psychopaths, we also meet the terrifying Norsemen, a group of road warriors who know no fear and have an alternative strategy when it comes to keeping themselves fed and alive.

Then there are the rats....

This is not a zombie apocalypse book for the faint of heart, and there are no nice little groups of survivalists.  It's horror, from beginning to end.  Absolutely gripping, I loved it from start to finish, one of the best books I've read this year.  The story itself is multi-faceted and unpredictable with never a dull or safe moment, and the characterisation is terrific, too.  There are a few editing 'glitches' but they're minor, and didn't spoil it at all.  At the end there's an author's note saying that Blackmore was not sure if there would be a book 4, but happily there is.  I am now going to start reading it. :)

MOUNTAIN MAN by Keith C Blackmore

5 out of 5 stars

Zombie apocalypse/serial killer/thriller

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Well, I wanted a new zombie apocalypse series to get stuck into, and I saw this one mentioned in a review for one of The Walking Dead books (the reviewer thought the TWD book was rubbish and suggested Mountain Man as something much better).  So I tried it, and loved it. 

I wasn't sure at first, because the first few pages included much talk of bodily functions and too many sentences starting with 'He'; I thought it was going to be grisly realism for the sake of it and not very good writing, but within a few pages I changed my mind.  The story is set in Canada and starts over two years after the zombie virus hit the world.  Gus has found himself a house up a mountain which he has made safe, and got the scavenging for supplies thing down to an art.  Only trouble is, he's got an alcohol problem (which he doesn't see as a problem) that needs constant feeding, and doesn't realise how much he's missed other people, until he saves someone who becomes his companion.  Later, another new friend is not all she seems, and lurking in the background is a danger more sinister than the walking dead....

One of the things I love about this genre is reading about how the characters survive, on a day to day basis, and there's plenty of that, but also lots of thrilling and well-written human and zombie showdowns.  It's quite a brutal sort of book, not for the faint-hearted, but the characterisation is great (I really liked Gus's friend Scott), and the characters' thoughts on their present situation versus the old world, versus just dying, are interesting.  I read it over a period of a couple of days, definitely recommend it if you like this genre, and am looking forward to starting book two.