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A review by eandrews80
The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson
2.0
I respect what Anderson was trying to do with this book, but I can't say that I enjoyed it very much. I enjoy the first book in the series because of its unusual setting: the College of Lucidity, its intellectual inhabitants, the strange relationships that blurred the line between slave and friend and royalty. While this volume spends a bit of time wrapping up those relationships, it's mostly a tale about war.
I have no doubt that most Revolutionary War narratives, at least those written by Americans both real and fictional, are rather one-sided in their approach to the subject. The Americans were right, the British were wrong, and the rebels who became our nation's founders were national heroes. Here, Anderson challenges this view; Octavian ends up fighting for the British, who offer freedom to black slaves willing to join the fight. The rebels are painted as racist, ignorant, and often cruel, and it's a stark reminder that there are two sides to every story.
Though Anderson's intentions are laudable, I found the story itself to be poorly paced, often boring, and filled with self-indulgent purple prose. If you are a history buff or like war narratives, I highly recommend this book. If you simply want to see what happens to Octavian -- which is why I slogged through all 550+ pages -- you may want to skip to the end.
I have no doubt that most Revolutionary War narratives, at least those written by Americans both real and fictional, are rather one-sided in their approach to the subject. The Americans were right, the British were wrong, and the rebels who became our nation's founders were national heroes. Here, Anderson challenges this view; Octavian ends up fighting for the British, who offer freedom to black slaves willing to join the fight. The rebels are painted as racist, ignorant, and often cruel, and it's a stark reminder that there are two sides to every story.
Though Anderson's intentions are laudable, I found the story itself to be poorly paced, often boring, and filled with self-indulgent purple prose. If you are a history buff or like war narratives, I highly recommend this book. If you simply want to see what happens to Octavian -- which is why I slogged through all 550+ pages -- you may want to skip to the end.