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 YORK 1609 by Harald Johnson #RBRT @AuthorHarald

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member, but I didn't choose it at first; I did so after reading this review on the blog of Sean, another team member.

In a Nutshell: A fictionalised history of the invasion of the land that became New York, and the city's founding.

A terrific novel, telling of the 'discovery' of Manhattan Island by Henry Hudson, and the beginning of the callous and careless ruination of the Native American way of life.  

The main character is the part-white Dancing Fish, who believes he is gifted with insight into the ways of the 'visitors' from the east.  The story starts in 1609 and moves, through four parts, through to the 1640s, as gradually the Manahate and other tribes are pushed out of their land; the book tells, also, of how they begin to take on the ways of the white man, and become less self-sufficient, something that saddens Dancing Fish.

This is a long book, but at no time did it feel over-written or padded out.  It seems like a foreshadowing of many years to come, as the greed and cunning of the 'civilised' treads into the ground and destroys a culture that had existed, successfully, for hundreds of years; indeed, it makes one question the meaning of the word 'civilised'.  Only once or twice did we see the Europeans' respect for the natives' affinity with the land, in Henry Hudson, in Boucher, an early explorer who was left behind by his party, and Marie, his daughter.

In the latter part of the story, the settlers' treatment of the natives is unbelievably brutal, sickening and heartbreaking, made worse because you know that all this and more really happened. But the ending is not without hope; Johnson's characters have a wisdom far beyond most of their enemies.

Johnson finishes with notes, in brief, about what happened afterwards, and explains which parts of his story have their grounding in fact.  Highly recommended.

DESPERATE PASSAGE by Ethan Rarick

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was recommended in the acknowledgements in The Hunger by Alma Katsu, as one of the books she had used for her research.

In a Nutshell: Non-fiction - account of the Donner Party's fatal crossing of American by wagon train, in 1846/7.

I was gripped by this book all the way through.  It tells the story of a party of pioneers travelling from Illinois to California in 1846, to start a new life.  But they made 3 fatal mistakes: they set off too late, they travelled too slowly, and, instead of taking the traditional route up into Oregon and down into California, they took a short cut, the 'Hastings Cut-Off', little knowing that Lansford Hastings, who was trying to lure more Americans into Mexico-owned California, had never actually tested the route himself.  Somewhere between a third and a half of the pioneers perished en route.

The account is fascinating on so many levels: Rarick gives a great insight into the characters of the travellers, and I actually found it easier to follow the large cast in this non-fiction account than in the novel.  I like that he dispelled many of the myths about the relationship between the travellers and the native Americans; for the most part, the latter were helpful, and friendly.  

The already difficult journey becomes tragic in the extreme once the party realises that they have hit the mountains at the onset of winter; a large section of the book is concerned with this part of the journey, with all its horrors; starvation, divisions in the group, failed attempts to cross the high peaks, many deaths, and cannibalism. Rarick has given all viewpoints, taken from those who survived it, the rescuers, and the accounts in the newspapers afterwards.  The last part of the book is spent discussing what was true, what was exaggerated, and the downright lies that were conjured up for the purpose of selling books and newspapers.  Also, he tells what happened to the survivors after their ordeal was over.  

Most tragic of all is the thought that within some of the survivors' lifetimes, new technology would have made their crossing so much easier, saving many lives. 

A terrific book that I recommend most highly.

THE HUNGER by Alma Katsu

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read a few reviews of it on book blogs, via Twitter.

In a Nutshell: Fiction taken from fact - pioneers crossing America heading for California, in 1846, slowly realise that a great danger is walking alongside....

I didn't realise until I read the author's notes at the back that this is based on a true story; I wish I had known.

The atmosphere in this book is a such a winner, and the naïveté of the families who set out to travel through uncharted territory, from Illinois to California, is quite pitiful; they fancy they are setting out a great adventure, little understanding the size of America, the range of temperatures and terrains, the dangers they might face when trying to transport their families and entire homes through completely wild lands.

Main characters feature: Stanton, a lone traveller with a troubled past; Bryant, a man fascinated with the Native American culture; Tamsen, a dissatisfied trophy wife; Reed, a pompous former shop owner; Elitha, a young woman who hears voices, the sinister Keseberg, whose back story is flesh-crawlingly gruesome, and there are points of view from various others, too....

...in fact, there are so many characters that I sometimes forgot who was who, but the main ones were well-drawn enough for them to stand out, and I realised after a while that it wasn't absolutely essential to remember everything about a character, just because he or she had a name.

The party have started out too late in the season, and face many problems on the way, as, against advice, they take a route that is supposed to shave many miles off the journey, which becomes increasingly arduous ... and, waiting in the wings, is another danger.

I did enjoy this book, a lot, though I thought it could have done without the supernatural aspect, which didn't really work for me, and seemed superfluous, turning the book into a genre it needn't have been; the darkness of man himself was enough to add all the terror the story required.  However, this side of it is not too over-played, and I enjoyed it enough to buy a book suggested in the notes at the back - an account of the actual story, which Katsu used in her research: Desperate Passage by Ethan Rarick.

I felt that some of the individual stories could have been rounded off more (I was left not knowing exactly who had died and who hadn't, or maybe I just couldn't remember, because the dramatis personae was so extensive), but on the whole the ending was satisfactory - I do most certainly recommend, and look forward to reading the book mentioned above.

(note 7/5/19: Nearly finished Desperate Passage, which I highly recommend.  Had I read it first, though, I don't think I would have enjoyed The Hunger as much as I did; I would have been too irritated by the way Katsu changed the story and characters, and gave so little story space to what was actually the longest and most horrifying part of the journey.  To read The Hunger just as fiction, is probably better.)

BEAR MEDICINE BY G Elizabeth Kretchmer @gekretchmer

4 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: Contemporary family drama/historical/feminist issues

Bear Medicine tells two stories.  The first is that of Brooke, a middle class, marathon-running, oddly unworldly wife of a domineering Oregon politician, who, when taking some 'time out' from family life, gets mauled by a bear in Yellowstone National Park.  In alternating chapters we read about Anne, in 1877, a young wife of a domineering husband, who gets separated while on an adventure trek with him, again in Yellowstone.

Brooke and Anne's stories run constantly parallel, and are connected.  Brooke goes to recuperate from her injuries nearby, cared for by a woman called Leila in a cosy log cabin; their lifestyle builds her confidence and makes her reluctant to return home.  Anne is saved by a young Native American woman, Maggie, who educates her about the reality of the evils done to her people by the White Man, builds her confidence, and makes her understand how badly she was treated by her husband.  Both women get early chances to return/be 'rescued', and reject them, though the differences in options for the women of the 19th and 21st centuries is more clearly marked later.

I found this book immensely readable, written with understanding of the author's subjects, and well-placed wit.  Ms Kretchmer sets a scene perfectly, and both her narrative and dialogue flow so well.  The two women's stories run side by side most comfortably, as the parallels and connections emerge.   All characters are clearly defined, and the pace is just right, with slower passages (inner dialogue/descriptive narrative) interspersed evenly with events to keep the reader turning the pages, and I loved the insights into Native American lifestyle; the reminder of their tragic history at the hands of the so-called civilised invaders was heartbreaking.

The theme is very much one of women standing together and overcoming male domination, and I think it would be of great interest to female readers who have felt oppressed by the men in their lives or by society as a whole.  I found this aspect of the novel a little dated, having been a reader of people like Erin Pizzey 20/30 years ago, but I understand that in Brooke's world it was still very much an issue, and reading about Anne's life was certainly enough to make me feel grateful I was born 80 years later!

I have one minor complaint, of a proofreading nature: the use of hyphens (-) instead of em dashes (—) throughout the book, which was an irritation; sometimes they were used to create both pauses and hyphenated words in the same sentence, which was very confusing (example: Shane-still on the dock-fiddled with his keys, wallet and phone-double-checking to be sure); as it was, I kept thinking random words had been hyphenated when they weren't.  Publisher, sort out your proofreader!   On the whole, though, I'd definitely recommend this book, and I'd read more by this author.

DEATH BY PUMPKIN by Noelle Granger

4 out of 5 stars

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

Death by Pumpkin is a cosy murder mystery (if that is not a contradiction in terms), featuring female sleuth Rhe (pronounced Ree) Brewster, a part-time investigator with the police department in Pequod, Maine.  At the annual Pumpkin festival, an unknown and unfortunate person is crushed to death by a giant.... well, you've guessed it.  Along with her brother-in-law and Chief of Police, Sam, Rhe sets out on a search for both victim and murderer, leading her all over the state and bringing back some blasts from a highly uncomfortable past.

I am not a lover of police procedurals/forensic investigation, etc, but I liked the way this is written - there's a good balance of plot and Rhe's own story (including a frustratingly tangled love life), so that the novel is about her as much as about the solving of the murder (and, indeed, made me want to know more about her past - this is the way to write a series, giving you just enough detail to make you want to read the others!).  There's plenty going on, including another death I didn't foresee and an hair-raising airborne adventure.  It's light in style, with some pleasantly humorous parts in both observation and the convincing banter between characters.  I also enjoyed finding out about the Native American population of Maine, and life in that state; it's one I'd love to visit.

The book is well presented and professionally edited, intelligently written and very readable, and the plot works;  I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good, clean(ish)-read type of cosy mystery. I haven't read much at all in this genre but I would imagine that it's a very good example of it.

THE PEACEKEEPER by Zoe Saadia

4.5 out of 5 stars

Native American history

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Finally I got around to reading the last one of the four part Peacemaker series ~ and a very satisfactory ending it is too!  Unlike the other three, which have a basis in fact, I believe The Peacekeeper comes purely from the author's imagination.

This is a terrific series.  I found myself picturing them all ~ wise old men sitting around the campfires smoking, the restlessness of the younger warriors, the women in the longhouses, not least of all the rebellious Kahontsi.  In the last episode, 'Great Peacemaker' Two Rivers has done what he set out to do, bringing the Five Nations together, but the question remains: is he truly the messenger of the spirits?  Kahontsi thinks he's just a man, who happens to have a great deal of charisma, and she and others have much to say about the 'test of the falls', which Two Rivers was put through, in the last book ~ did he survive it with help from humans, or by spiritual means, as others think?  Is he just 'a mortal man with an immortal mission'?  Rumblings of dissent are felt, as Tekeni (Two River's companion throughout his adventure) fears that Tadodaho, another clan leader, is unconvinced.

I loved some of the philosophical wisdom in this book; Hainteroh's explanation that a raid on an enemy camp is not always for the purpose of winning a battle or taking captors.  Such proof of victory is not always necessary; the invasion itself can be simply a display of authority ~ a philosophy that could be applied elsewhere and in other areas of life.

I sometimes wonder how Zoe Saadia manages to exist in today's world, as her head is clearly so rooted in these times!  Her writing is so clear, so evocative.  She writes simply, and it really works.  I loved Tekeni's view that, since the clans have been brought together, 'even the elements were happy with all Two Rivers had achieved.  The woods and the lakes and the bright summer sky ... they were all happy now'.  I've always liked Tekeni and I thought this was really sweet.

I'll just give a reminder that it's agreed by many that the latter day USA constitution was influenced by the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois; this series is a must-read for anyone who is interested in this time.  Lovely ending, too.  Bravo, Zoe Saadia!  

You can see reviews of the other books in this series HERE; there are links to books 2 and 3 after this review of Book 1, Two Rivers 

ELI'S COMING by Darcia Helle

3.5 out of 5 stars

Supernatural/dark fantasy thriller

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie's Book Review Team

I chose to read this book from the review team list because I had read another of Darcia Helle's books, underworld crime thriller Killing Instinct, and loved it.  Eli's Coming, however, comes under the genre headings of supernatural/dark fantasy; I'd mistakenly thought it was a psychological thriller with a supernatural slant, but the fantasy side of it is the main element of the story. My error!

Amanda becomes involved with the mysterious Eli who has secrets and demons, which are revealed to the reader gradually; I liked the way Ms Helle did this, highly effective, allowing just enough information to seep out at a time to maintain interest.  It worked!  I thought the characterisation of the tormented, isolated Eli was most convincing.  There is a more real life element to the beginning of the story, too, with Amanda's frustration about her domestic situation, and her relationship with her parents.  Her mother has Alzheimer's; this was represented with care and realism.

A hint: at 99%, ie, after the end of the book, there is an information section about the Native American people who were the inspiration for this story.  I'd advise you skip to the end and read this as soon as they are mentioned, as it will make the story mean more.

Ms Helle is a competent writer and I would imagine that this book will fulfil all the requirements of dark fantasy addicts.  Alas, I am not one, so I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped, but this is not a reflection on the standard of the writing.  I enjoyed the first 20% very much, when it was more about Amanda and her father and friend, but the two elements did not mesh well together, for me.  Having enjoyed Killing Instinct so much I would definitely read another of her books, but will stick to her crime novels from now on.

KILLING INSTINCT by Darcia Helle reviewed HERE

 

BEYOND THE GREAT RIVER (People of the Longhouse Book 1) by Zoe Saadia

4 out of 5 stars

Native American History

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's book review team

This series takes place a short while after the Peacemaker series, which brought about the Great League of the Iroquois.

The story centres around Kentiko, a young girl who does not behave as a young woman of her tribe should; she wants to fight, track, explore, rather than engage in domestic matters.  Disappointingly for their warrior father, her brother, Migisso, does not feel comfortable with the path laid out for him, either. He does not want to follow in his father's footsteps but instead follows the tribal medicine man and knows he has a gift for healing.  He was my favourite character.  The third main character is Okwaho, from a neighbouring tribe, who becomes part of a small force that invades Kentiko and Migisso's village.  Then Kentiko and Okwaho meet...

As with Zoe Saadia's other books, I was aware all the way through it of the detailed research that goes into her work.  It's more than just research, though; she seems to have an innate feel for the people of the time, so much that the reader is not able to tell which bits stem from fact and which from her own imagination: the evidence of a truly talented historical fiction writer.  The domestic detail is the part that fascinates me the most, giving a real insight into the way these people lived.

The book is beautifully written as ever, and shows the story so well from all points of view.  For me this book was a bit detail rather than event heavy, but I still read it in just a few sittings; it was interesting rather than being a 'what's going to happen next???' page turner like the Peacemaker series.  Given the ages of the main characters, and their dilemmas, I felt it was in some ways more of a YA novel; it would definitely appeal to teenagers - and, of course, for anyone with an interest in ancient American history all this writer's books are an absolute treat.

THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE, with links to the other books of hers that I've reviewed

THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE by Zoe Saadia

5 GOLD STARS

Native American History, Adventure

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

You can read a fascinating interview with Zoe about her research for this series, on A Woman's Wisdom blog HERE

What a wonderful story!  This is a real adventure, one of those that keeps giving hope, only to plunge the reader into that 'oh, no, it's all going to go wrong' fear a moment later.  

The third in the series telling a fictional version of the true story of the forming of the Great League of the Five Nations (the Iroquois), this is the most exciting so far, as Two Rivers and sidekick Tekeni struggle cross land and water to deliver the message of peace to the various tribes, encountering resistance on the way.  It's also an amazing two pronged love story, though, as young warrior Tekeni and his love Seketa search for each other, and the great Messenger of peace, Two Rivers, comes to terms with his love for Onheda.  Be prepared for tears in your eyes at about 90%, but I won't give away any more!

There is a marvellous quality to Zoe Saadia's writing in these stories that I can't quite put my finger on; it's as though the 'voice' could be a native American telling this tale around a camp fire; I suspect she might have been one such in a past life!  The narration is so clear, the prose never contrived.  The ending, the coming together of the Great Law is incredibly moving, and, as in the previous book, made me wish I lived in this simpler time with these people.  It made me sad, too, thinking about what happened to them in more recent history, though that is perhaps not to be dwelt upon in a review of this book.  I am sure it will make you feel the same, though.  

Excellent, and I hope I shall get to read the last in the series before too long, after which I shall want to read the People of the Longhouse series, too.  


TWO RIVERS (part 1 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

ACROSS THE GREAT SPARKLING WATER (part 2 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

THE HIGHLANDER by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

BEYOND THE GREAT RIVER by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

ACROSS THE GREAT SPARKLING WATER by Zoe Saadia

5 out of 5 stars

Native American history, adventure

On Amazon UK HERE 

On Amazon.com HERE 

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's book review team

This is the second in the Peacemaker series, a fictional account based on fact, about how the Great League of the Iroquois was formed.  More than a few scholars agree that the latter day USA constitution was influenced by this Great Law of Peace.  I'll just mention that it's important to read the first in this series, Two Rivers, first.  It's a while since I read the first one so I had to recap, after which the two stories flowed together.

So readable just as an adventure story on its own, Across the Great Sparkling Water (the body of water later to be known as Lake Ontario) is fascinating in that it tells so much about the customs of the time, and the day to day living - and yes, yes, it made me want to go back in time and live amongst them, as all good historical fiction should do.  A time and place when life was lived according to the rules of nature only, but with civilised regimes set in place for the efficient survival of communities.

The Great Peacemaker, named Two Rivers, is marvellously multi-faceted, single-minded in his mission to bring about ruling councils and end the warring between the nations, yet so human, too; unlike others of Zoe Saadia's books that I've read, this one contains an element of love and passion of the more mature variety which is very convincing, as Two Rivers fights his feelings for a woman, concerned that it will distract him from his cause.  Okay, I admit it; I ended up fancying him myself!

There are other terrific characters in this story: Tekeni, from the first book, a young man who accompanies Two Rivers on his journey; Onheda, a fierce and independent young woman trying to return from a kind captivity to her own people; Hionhwatha, the strong, proud, displaced leader of the Onondaga people, and Jikonsahseh, a wise old woman.

This is an excellent series, so well written and easy to read and sometimes quite amusing, too.  I can't recommend it too highly, and I am just off to Amazon to buy the next one!

TWO RIVERS (part 1 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE (part 3 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

THE HIGHLANDER by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE

TWO RIVERS by Zoe Saadia

5 out of 5 stars

History, Native Americans, adventure

Originally posted on Amazon UK on 23 June 2014 HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

I think that historical fiction should be entertaining, while being expertly researched and teaching the reader about the period. Two Rivers ticks these boxes, and more. It's a simple story, written in Zoe Saadia's very, very readable style, but it tells so much. I never knew anything about the Great League of the Iroquois which is said to have been a great influence on the latter day USA constitution - I've started to learn all about it this weekend, whilst reading a cracking good story!

 
Ms Saadia has a wonderful knack of showing how human nature remains the same, in any century and in any setting. Her accounts are not wordy, or overly descriptive, and she never tries to be clever, but her characters and situations are so alive. The writing is never self-conscious, and flows so beautifully that my editing hat falls off, forgotten - a sure sign, for me, that a book is really worth reading! If you have any interest at all in native American history you really should read this, and if you haven't you will still enjoy it. It's a complete story in itself whilst being beautifully set up for the sequel, Across the Great Sparkling Water, which I shall be purchasing shortly!


ACROSS THE GREAT SPARKLING WATER (part 2 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE 

THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE (part 3 of the series) by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE 

  
 THE HIGHLANDER by Zoe Saadia reviewed HERE