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snooty1's review
3.0
I'd like to start with something that has NOTHING to do with the book...I had no idea until I listened to this audiobook that I was horribly butchering the author's last name. It literally sounds nothing like its spelled.
Aside from that disturbing revelation, I enjoyed this book.
I listened to this with my daughter, and this is most definitely YA. Neither of us were offended in anyway, and when they said the word "ass" once, my daughter giggled for about 10 minutes. To the point, this is NOT the Hangman's daughter series, its much more "light and airy" and prototypical in its story-telling.
There is still the underlying fear and contempt for religious fervor that tends to be a recurring theme in Oliver's books (I no longer trust myself to even write his last name). which I personally love.
Narration was....ok. Not the best, but definitely not the worst.
Story: entertaining, and YA.
Aside from that disturbing revelation, I enjoyed this book.
I listened to this with my daughter, and this is most definitely YA. Neither of us were offended in anyway, and when they said the word "ass" once, my daughter giggled for about 10 minutes. To the point, this is NOT the Hangman's daughter series, its much more "light and airy" and prototypical in its story-telling.
There is still the underlying fear and contempt for religious fervor that tends to be a recurring theme in Oliver's books (I no longer trust myself to even write his last name). which I personally love.
Narration was....ok. Not the best, but definitely not the worst.
Story: entertaining, and YA.
jameseckman's review
3.0
I wave my orb of discernment over this volume, the cover changes and I see a name appear, [author:Rafael Sabatini|82608]. Yes, we have the young, ever so good and moral master swordsman, none of [author:Alexandre Dumas|4785]' riff-raff for this tale. Revenge! Yes that monster Schonborn killed his parents and abducted his little sister. Trusty comrades are met along the way. Wait, we are missing Romance, Rafael would be displeased.
This book has been updated from those old fashioned swashbuckler tales, there's one strong female character and the prose is at worst pale lavender. While marketed as an adult book, the age of the characters make it feel YA. A decent read, but Dumas still is my main man for this genre.
This book has been updated from those old fashioned swashbuckler tales, there's one strong female character and the prose is at worst pale lavender. While marketed as an adult book, the age of the characters make it feel YA. A decent read, but Dumas still is my main man for this genre.
chymerra's review
4.0
I very rarely read historical fiction even though I like reading it. I don’t know why I don’t read that genre. Probably because 90% of the historical fiction that I have read is usually very dry and becomes boring because the authors usually stick to the facts and not build an actual story around them.
That is what I liked about this book. While it was historically accurate (I googled the battles, the Inquisition, the burning of the witches, the general and the Swedish king at the time to verify), the author built a fictional story around those events.
I felt awful for Lukas. His whole world was ruined within a day. His father murdered, his mother accused of being a witch and taken away and his sister kidnapped. If that wasn’t enough to break someone, a few days later, he happened into town when his mother was being burned at the stake. Talk about traumatizing and my heart broke for him.
But, after almost freezing to death and a run in with a group of children who were not good to be around (and I understand that’s how it was in those days), he fell in with a travelling group of performers. There he met Giovanni, Paulus and Jerome….fencers who put on an act. He proves his worth against the Master fencer and is incorporated into their act.
After the troupe is attacked and most of its members killed, the foursome decide to seek out the “Black Musketeers”….a group of legendary fighters in the King’s army. Lukas had found out, earlier in the book, that his father was part of the “Black Musketeers” and the fencing master in the troupe was also. After a journey, they find the “Black Musketeers” and beg to join. After proving themselves to the leader, he allows them in.
Now, not going to go into the book from there. All I have to say is that Lukas finds out a lot of things about his mother, sister and father from a few people and that his fencing skill is put to the test as well.
The end was a bit surprising to me because I honestly wasn’t expecting it. I really thought that the opposite was going to happen and was preparing myself for it. I also loved that the author did leave the book open for a second book.
How many stars will I give Book of the Night? 4
Why? A great, engrossing read. I was up most of the night and got emotionally invested in Lukas’s character.
Will I reread? Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes
Age Range: Adult
Why: Violence
**I received Book of the Night from AmazonCrossing as an ARC**
That is what I liked about this book. While it was historically accurate (I googled the battles, the Inquisition, the burning of the witches, the general and the Swedish king at the time to verify), the author built a fictional story around those events.
I felt awful for Lukas. His whole world was ruined within a day. His father murdered, his mother accused of being a witch and taken away and his sister kidnapped. If that wasn’t enough to break someone, a few days later, he happened into town when his mother was being burned at the stake. Talk about traumatizing and my heart broke for him.
But, after almost freezing to death and a run in with a group of children who were not good to be around (and I understand that’s how it was in those days), he fell in with a travelling group of performers. There he met Giovanni, Paulus and Jerome….fencers who put on an act. He proves his worth against the Master fencer and is incorporated into their act.
After the troupe is attacked and most of its members killed, the foursome decide to seek out the “Black Musketeers”….a group of legendary fighters in the King’s army. Lukas had found out, earlier in the book, that his father was part of the “Black Musketeers” and the fencing master in the troupe was also. After a journey, they find the “Black Musketeers” and beg to join. After proving themselves to the leader, he allows them in.
Now, not going to go into the book from there. All I have to say is that Lukas finds out a lot of things about his mother, sister and father from a few people and that his fencing skill is put to the test as well.
The end was a bit surprising to me because I honestly wasn’t expecting it. I really thought that the opposite was going to happen and was preparing myself for it. I also loved that the author did leave the book open for a second book.
How many stars will I give Book of the Night? 4
Why? A great, engrossing read. I was up most of the night and got emotionally invested in Lukas’s character.
Will I reread? Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes
Age Range: Adult
Why: Violence
**I received Book of the Night from AmazonCrossing as an ARC**
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