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ginaraemitchell's review
4.0
Historical fiction set in the pre-revolution Carolina frontier from 1736 - 1740 or so. The setting is well-researched and presented. The characters have depth and personality, making them easy to love or hate. The pacing is satisfactory. The bits of Scottish language used throughout the book add authenticity and depth to the story.
We see life through the eyes of James Kirkpatrick as he comes of age in harsh colonial times. Life is a constant battle against nature, lack of medical knowledge, Indians, treachery, and more. Young James and friends must grow up fast to survive.
A perfect book for historical fiction fans.
We see life through the eyes of James Kirkpatrick as he comes of age in harsh colonial times. Life is a constant battle against nature, lack of medical knowledge, Indians, treachery, and more. Young James and friends must grow up fast to survive.
A perfect book for historical fiction fans.
hollyxbear's review
3.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and it was an interesting challenge. The way the writing was portrayed was phonetical at times and it could be a tad confusing. But overall I did enjoy the story. I did question halfway through if there was a moral or a reason for the story but as I continued I realized I didn't exactly need one. All in all, it was pretty good.
writeramyshannon's review
4.0
Grand Read
Robinson pens a grand historical story in The Fiery Salamander. This is the first book of this author's work that I've read, and I enjoyed this read. The pace of the story was pretty good, and the characters were interesting. It seems like the author did his homework on the era in which he writes. The perspective gave a unique story, and added to the depth of the plot. The era is a different culture, and the descriptions and environment seemed to be accurate. It's a well-written story. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Robinson pens a grand historical story in The Fiery Salamander. This is the first book of this author's work that I've read, and I enjoyed this read. The pace of the story was pretty good, and the characters were interesting. It seems like the author did his homework on the era in which he writes. The perspective gave a unique story, and added to the depth of the plot. The era is a different culture, and the descriptions and environment seemed to be accurate. It's a well-written story. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
jeanmrobertsauthor's review
4.0
Historical Book Review: The Fiery Salamander by Will Robinson. Independently published on 13 January 2019. 417 pages. Book 1 of Back Country Novels. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review. The opinions given in this review are mine alone.
The Plot in Brief:
Set in the year 1763 in the British Colony of Carolina. This is the story of 14 year old James Kirkpatrick, his extended family and close-knit neighbors. Life is hard for these back-country Scots-Irish settlers who eke out a living on their remote farms. An Indian raid sets in motion a series of events which dictate the next four years of James' life. As his life unfolds, he is pushed, pulled, shaped and molded, by family, friends, life, death and of course love.
The Characters:
The author has done an excellent job fleshing out his characters, giving them distinct personalities and character traits. I felt I knew them all. Over the course of the book we see James evolve from a boy on the cusp of manhood to his maturity. His character is complex and multidimensional. Quite a few of the characters are Native Americans and I thought the author did a great job bring them to life and treated their plight with sensitivity and understanding. I appreciate that the good guys are flawed and the bad guys can earn our sympathy.
The History:
Although there are few obvious 'historical events' that occur in this book, the historical setting seems spot on. The setting, the people, the way they dressed, spoke and lived are detailed and appear to be very accurate. I did not see anything that was 'out of time'. As a history buff, I was interested in the upcountry system of justice and the 'Regulators', the vigilante group which formed to enforce the laws and keep the peace. As a descendant of Scots-Irish immigrants I was also glad to see them accurately portrayed.
The Writing:
The book is written in first person-present tense. Present tense is not my favorite as it is very easy to screw up. However, the author does a fine job and I was soon comfortable with his style. The pace zips along in the beginning and again at the end. I felt it dragged at times in the middle, but never enough to put me off. So this leads me to the one thing that I didn't like; the author employs a great deal of 18th century Scots-Irish vernacular. Reading his narrative and dialogue made me feel hate narvish. Know what that means? Neither did I. There were times when I thought the use of Scots-Irish words detracted from the story telling. This may not bother every reader, but I had to stop and look up the meaning of many of these words. Luckily, there is a Dictionary of Ulster Scots which I used to decipher his meaning.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed this coming of age book. I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or has a particular interest in the region or time period will appreciate James' story. I would not hesitate to recommend The Fiery Salamander.
The Plot in Brief:
Set in the year 1763 in the British Colony of Carolina. This is the story of 14 year old James Kirkpatrick, his extended family and close-knit neighbors. Life is hard for these back-country Scots-Irish settlers who eke out a living on their remote farms. An Indian raid sets in motion a series of events which dictate the next four years of James' life. As his life unfolds, he is pushed, pulled, shaped and molded, by family, friends, life, death and of course love.
The Characters:
The author has done an excellent job fleshing out his characters, giving them distinct personalities and character traits. I felt I knew them all. Over the course of the book we see James evolve from a boy on the cusp of manhood to his maturity. His character is complex and multidimensional. Quite a few of the characters are Native Americans and I thought the author did a great job bring them to life and treated their plight with sensitivity and understanding. I appreciate that the good guys are flawed and the bad guys can earn our sympathy.
The History:
Although there are few obvious 'historical events' that occur in this book, the historical setting seems spot on. The setting, the people, the way they dressed, spoke and lived are detailed and appear to be very accurate. I did not see anything that was 'out of time'. As a history buff, I was interested in the upcountry system of justice and the 'Regulators', the vigilante group which formed to enforce the laws and keep the peace. As a descendant of Scots-Irish immigrants I was also glad to see them accurately portrayed.
The Writing:
The book is written in first person-present tense. Present tense is not my favorite as it is very easy to screw up. However, the author does a fine job and I was soon comfortable with his style. The pace zips along in the beginning and again at the end. I felt it dragged at times in the middle, but never enough to put me off. So this leads me to the one thing that I didn't like; the author employs a great deal of 18th century Scots-Irish vernacular. Reading his narrative and dialogue made me feel hate narvish. Know what that means? Neither did I. There were times when I thought the use of Scots-Irish words detracted from the story telling. This may not bother every reader, but I had to stop and look up the meaning of many of these words. Luckily, there is a Dictionary of Ulster Scots which I used to decipher his meaning.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed this coming of age book. I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or has a particular interest in the region or time period will appreciate James' story. I would not hesitate to recommend The Fiery Salamander.
tavenorcd's review
4.0
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction. Actually, I think it’s been more than a few years since I read a historical fiction novel. The Fiery Salamander was a fresh change of pace from the norm, even if it did leave me a bit wanting in the end.
Thus, this review is through two lenses: the reader C.D. Tavenor and the author/editor C.D. Tavenor.
The author/editor C.D. Tavenor appreciates The Fiery Salamander as an ambitious endeavor of historical craftsmanship, with meticulous research and careful thought toward ensuring characters were authentic to the time. The story is told through the eyes of James Kirpatrick, a young man coming of age on the colonial frontier. From the very early pages, it’s obvious Will Robinson has placed every word of this book to create an authentic atmosphere.
Even more so, Will handles the plot involving Native Americans with care. Given the United States tumultuous (for lack of a better word) past with indigenous people groups, it’s really easy to type-cast Native Americans as the “enemy” in this type of story. Robinson avoids this pitfall, writing their narrative with nuance.
However, Reader C.D. Tavenor discovered he no longer has an interest in this style of historical fiction. At no fault to Robinson’s excellent writing, I found it difficult to make my way through this book because it was so thoroughly researched. The historical details, in some sense, grounded it too much in the past, giving an eery sense of authenticity that at times made it feel like a case study from a history book. I think Kirpatrick as a character saved it for me, as his multi-dimensional personality kept the story moving from page to page.
Don’t take those comments as a critique of the book itself; it’s a probably more of a critique upon me as a reader!
Anyway, onto the scores.
Writing: 9/10. It’s hard to pull off first-person present tense with such a detail-oriented historical world to describe. Well done!
Characters: 8/10. Kirpatrick is a great POV character, and the nuanced approach to different people groups dealing with tensions on the frontier established multi-faceted motivations throughout the narrative.
Setting: 7/10. At the beginning of the book, the immediacy of the writing made it difficult to really ground the story at the beginning. As the story continued, that changed, but Robinson loses a few points for the initial lack of place.
Plot: 8/10. As emphasized regarding the characters in Fiery Salamander, the complex motivations come together to tell a very intriguing historical narrative!
Overall: 8/10. Receiving 4 stars, I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in the late colonial period of the United States! Any Hamilton fans out there? Then this book is for you!
NOTE: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Thus, this review is through two lenses: the reader C.D. Tavenor and the author/editor C.D. Tavenor.
The author/editor C.D. Tavenor appreciates The Fiery Salamander as an ambitious endeavor of historical craftsmanship, with meticulous research and careful thought toward ensuring characters were authentic to the time. The story is told through the eyes of James Kirpatrick, a young man coming of age on the colonial frontier. From the very early pages, it’s obvious Will Robinson has placed every word of this book to create an authentic atmosphere.
Even more so, Will handles the plot involving Native Americans with care. Given the United States tumultuous (for lack of a better word) past with indigenous people groups, it’s really easy to type-cast Native Americans as the “enemy” in this type of story. Robinson avoids this pitfall, writing their narrative with nuance.
However, Reader C.D. Tavenor discovered he no longer has an interest in this style of historical fiction. At no fault to Robinson’s excellent writing, I found it difficult to make my way through this book because it was so thoroughly researched. The historical details, in some sense, grounded it too much in the past, giving an eery sense of authenticity that at times made it feel like a case study from a history book. I think Kirpatrick as a character saved it for me, as his multi-dimensional personality kept the story moving from page to page.
Don’t take those comments as a critique of the book itself; it’s a probably more of a critique upon me as a reader!
Anyway, onto the scores.
Writing: 9/10. It’s hard to pull off first-person present tense with such a detail-oriented historical world to describe. Well done!
Characters: 8/10. Kirpatrick is a great POV character, and the nuanced approach to different people groups dealing with tensions on the frontier established multi-faceted motivations throughout the narrative.
Setting: 7/10. At the beginning of the book, the immediacy of the writing made it difficult to really ground the story at the beginning. As the story continued, that changed, but Robinson loses a few points for the initial lack of place.
Plot: 8/10. As emphasized regarding the characters in Fiery Salamander, the complex motivations come together to tell a very intriguing historical narrative!
Overall: 8/10. Receiving 4 stars, I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in the late colonial period of the United States! Any Hamilton fans out there? Then this book is for you!
NOTE: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.