Reviews

Sold Down the River by Barbara Hambly

smemmott's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Racism, Abortion, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Torture, Rape, and Sexual violence

reneesmith's review against another edition

4.0

Beautiful writing. Wonderful main character—Benjamin January, surgeon, musician, freed slave. More of a tale of slavery than a mystery, but I’m open to trying another of Ben’s adventures.

tashabye's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars, the last part of the book was really engaging. The first half I found myself a little confused with all the players and some of the dialogue. As usual though, a wonderful historical fiction with a strong sense of place. 

cmbohn's review against another edition

5.0

New Orleans and Louisiana, 1840s

Tore through this one today. Benjamin January finds an unexpected guest in his mother's house - his former owner, Simon Fourchet. To his surprise, his mother expects Ben to do the man a favor and investigate some sabotage going on at the sugar plantation. Ben wants nothing to do with him. But he knows what will happen if they don't find the culprit - all the slaves will be held responsible, they'll be sold, and the families will be split up. Ben reluctantly agrees to help, and finds himself returning to just where he never wanted to be - down the river, as a slave. Sure, it's a pose, but he's in terrible danger.

I really liked this one. I love Benjamin January, and there was a LOT of suspense on this one, waiting to see exactly what would happen to him. I really wasn't as interested in the identity of the murderer (yes, it becomes murder), as I was in seeing if Ben would get off the plantation in one piece. Very good. 5 stars

lirazel's review against another edition

5.0

God, this series. The ending of this one reminded me of the power that staying with the same characters for a long time can create: that ending felt so earned. I cried.

threerings's review against another edition

4.0

I had a hard time buying into the premise of this book: that Benjamin January willingly goes "undercover" as a slave on a sugar cane plantation to find a murderer/saboteur. He does it for the freedom the money would give him and to keep innocent slaves from being killed for something they didn't do. But I had a hard time believing someone who was a slave as a child and then freed would willingly put himself in such a position, with so little motivation. To save someone he loved, yes, but, I don't know. So I was a bit disconnected from the plot at the beginning. But the depiction of slave life was well done and the suspense gripping towards the end. The vivid characters among the slaves really stood out as well. At the end of the book, I cried, so I guess I didn't remain detached after all. Not a perfect novel, but ultimately a very good one.

amekatz's review against another edition

5.0

I love Barbara Hambly's books! Though I don't remember which, I read one or two of her Benjamin January stories years ago, and as usual with my sieve-like memory soon forgot it. Yet shadows of it lingered in my mind until I just had to search until I found the storyline again. I've been delighted in getting reacquainted with January and continuing to share in his adventures. Hambly writes so well, that even knowing that the series continues for many more books, I was still breathless at times during January's escape and capture. I am also enjoying her James Asher series, which is in a totally different vein (pun intended).

julieputty's review

4.0

This is probably the most emotionally affecting, and gut-wrenching, of this series so far. So even though the climax is pretty silly, like something out of a Die Hard movie, I still enjoyed it while being horrified at this glimpse into a (mostly) realistic slice of American history.

nilchance's review

4.0

The tension in Sold Down the River is so effective that I stalled out about chapter 5, I was so worried for Ben. Once I started up again, I couldn't put it down. I even read through a migraine, which is high praise.

Despite the bleak realism of slave life, there's hope and fellowship, and the characters

more than earned their happy ending.

I also love that the first few chapter can be summed up as:
Ben's mother: Ben, do the thing.
Ben: NO. >:(
(Later)
Ben: My mother tried to make me do the thing!
The other women in Ben's life: BEN. DO THE THING.
Ben: ... (unhappily does the thing)