Blurb:

“Too many!” cried Tarran, as she let blast the flintlock —

Yes, the obstacles are many, and time is short for the six young members of King James’ Seventh Company. To save Six Companies of scholars, this fellowship of teenagers must cross a most dangerous landscape.

It begins as the simplest of stories: a young book-keeper (Matthias Sykes) is loaned out to one of his firm’s clients. It seems there is some confusion in the client’s ledgers.

Matthias soon finds that the client is the King of England, and there is far more amiss in his kingdom than the ledgers. Dark and deadly forces swirl within Westminster Abbey, where eminent scholars are assembled to produce the world’s greatest book: The King James Bible.

Within these pages, readers will find revenge and heartbreak, anguish and love, secret identities, brave deeds in the face of overwhelming odds — and a new perspective on one of history’s great tales.

Review:

If you love books that have elements of historical fiction cutting across religion and Christianity, this book is for you! This book brings you to the point of time where the world awaits the release of a New Bible. The story revolves around Matthias who goes to work at one of his company’s client’s place. He then finds out truth about who the client really is. The plot thickens as he finds out further about the connection between the New Bible and the client. 

This story is just not a work of fiction. Beneath the story, lies the story of Apostle Paul and the actual mission of his travel across different places around the world. 

I wouldn’t want to further give away the essential aspects of this book as anyone interested in this genre should definitely grab a copy to enjoy the story on their own. A 5-star review. 

 

Blurb:

Ulysses S. Grant in China and Other Stories “Gong Ji, Mister President!” cried Holcombe — Ulysses S. Grant’s little-heralded trip around the world is the setting for the title story in Tom Durwood’s collection of old-fashioned adventure fiction. Young protagonists take on all manner of obstacles in a wide range of historical eras. In these pages, you will take part in a violent battle over succession in the Benin kingdoms, meet a young clerk who gets pulled into a murderous plot in 17th century Amsterdam, witness revenge in a cowboy saloon, and much more. Readers of Johnny Tremain and Octavian Nothing will find themselves in familiar territory.

Review:

This book revolves around a a girl and her group of friends who battle against some of the issues surrounding the completion of Suez Canal, which offers a new perspective to the old history we are all familiar with. The drama is mainly on betrayal, friendship and struggles the characters face to rise against all odds in their endevour. I personally feel that this book would be a good fit for younger teenage readers who find books like the Famous Five interesting as the story gives a similar feel to one of those. 

The plot is somewhat interesting with fewer suspense elements when compared to the author’s King James’ Seventh Company book.

A 3.5 star for this book.

Blurb:

“War is not what you think it is,” warned the rifleman …

Especially the war of the American Revolution. Six rich kids, students at an unusual boarding school in the year 1775, admire the American Colonials from afar. They read all the Bostonians’ pamphlets, follow their battles, and collect souvenirs of the American rebellion.

One by one, each of the students is pulled into the global war for equality and liberty — with unexpected results. Each find that the struggle for human dignity is not quite what they had imagined.

The Colonials is an old-fashioned adventure story complete with swashbuckling fights, treachery, hidden identities and assassins.

Review:

I love the author’s idea of bringing students into the war of American Revolution. These rich kids were somehow forced by their circumstances to go into the war for human rights and that is when they actually come to understand that the struggle is not something that they had thought about before. I like how the author worked meticulously on the struggles the kids face in the story and this pulls readers directly into the story. The kids journeyed together as they find their own paths. Along the process, they provide a new perspective to history of American Revolution. 

A 4-star for this book.