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Ballantyne #0.5
Call of the Raven
The action-packed and gripping new adventure by number one bestselling author, Wilbur Smith, about one man's quest for revenge.
'An exciting, taut and thrilling journey you will never forget' - Sun
THE DESIRE FOR REVENGE CAN BURN THE HEART OUT OF A MAN.
The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Mungo St John is accustomed to wealth and luxury - until he returns from university to discover his family ruined, his inheritance stolen and his childhood sweetheart, Camilla, taken by the conniving Chester Marion. Mungo swears vengeance and devotes his life to saving Camilla-and destroying Chester.
Camilla, trapped in New Orleans, powerless as a kept slave and subject to Chester's brutish behaviour, must do whatever it takes to survive.
As Mungo battles his own fate and misfortune, he must question what it takes for a man to regain his power in the world when he has nothing, and what he is willing to do to exact revenge...
PRAISE FOR WILBUR
'A Master Storyteller' - Sunday Times
'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times
'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror
'An exciting, taut and thrilling journey you will never forget' - Sun
THE DESIRE FOR REVENGE CAN BURN THE HEART OUT OF A MAN.
The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Mungo St John is accustomed to wealth and luxury - until he returns from university to discover his family ruined, his inheritance stolen and his childhood sweetheart, Camilla, taken by the conniving Chester Marion. Mungo swears vengeance and devotes his life to saving Camilla-and destroying Chester.
Camilla, trapped in New Orleans, powerless as a kept slave and subject to Chester's brutish behaviour, must do whatever it takes to survive.
As Mungo battles his own fate and misfortune, he must question what it takes for a man to regain his power in the world when he has nothing, and what he is willing to do to exact revenge...
PRAISE FOR WILBUR
'A Master Storyteller' - Sunday Times
'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times
'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror
443 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2020
About the author
Wilbur Smith
477 books4,101 followersWilbur Smith was the bestselling author of many novels, each researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His bestselling Courtney series includes Assegai, The Sound of Thunder, Birds of Prey, Monsoon, and Blue Horizon. His other books include Those in Peril, River God, Warlock, The Seventh Scroll, and The Sunbird.
His books have been translated into twenty-six languages and have sold over 120 million copies. Smith was born to a British family in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in Central Africa, and attended Rhodes University in South Africa. By the time of his death in 2021 he had published 49 books and had sold more than 140 million copies.
Wilbur Smith died at his Cape Town home on November 13, 2021. He was 88 years old at the time of his death.
His books have been translated into twenty-six languages and have sold over 120 million copies. Smith was born to a British family in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in Central Africa, and attended Rhodes University in South Africa. By the time of his death in 2021 he had published 49 books and had sold more than 140 million copies.
Wilbur Smith died at his Cape Town home on November 13, 2021. He was 88 years old at the time of his death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
March 24, 2020
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Wilbur Smith, Corban Addison, and Bonnier Zaffre USA for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Taking the daring task of setting the scene with a prequel to one of his most popular series, Wilbur Smith collaborates with Corban Addison to create a stirring tale set in the 1840s. Before the Ballantyne family rose to notoriety, Mungo St. John was a young man with ambition and intelligence, studying in England. There, his family’s slave ownership soured many young men and Mungo finds himself trying to defend the possession of others. When he returned to America, Mungo discovers that slave owning is the least of his problems, when his family’s land is foreclosed upon and everything seized by a greedy man who all but killed the elder Mr. St. John. Included in the seizure is a young slave woman, named Camilla, someone Mungo holds in very high regard. As Mungo seeks to regain his family name and rush away from some of the trouble he has caused, he lies and changes his name to earn a spot on a ship sailing for Europe. Little does Mungo know the true purpose of the ship, or the horrors that await when he arrives on the other side of the Atlantic. Back in Louisiana, Camilla and many of the other slaves are moved to a cotton plantation, where they work to the bone by a ruthless slave owner, one who enjoys exerting much of his power over the women. He fancies Camilla and takes her as his own, only to leave her feeling used and abused, before she discovers that she is with child. Trying to use the pregnancy to keep herself alive, Camilla finds that she can do much more, given the opportunity and sly skills that she has acquired. When Mungo discovers that he is in the middle of a slave trading ship, he tries to hold his own, only to find himself in the middle of a rebellion on the trip back to America. Not wanting anything to do with the captain and crew who have employed him, Mungo does little to help them and saves his own life, but just. He vows that he will one day bring honour back to the St. John name and find Camilla, if only to see if they still have a chance to be happy. One more trip, under his own captaincy, to Africa sees Mungo St. John attempt a new life as a trader, this time of goods. Mungo does all he can to stay focussed, but he cannot shake that he must find and free Camilla, once and for all. The clash will be great and the risks high, but Mungo St. John is a man of his word and one who will die to ensure honour is kept. An interesting story that held my attention more than many of the other flashback tales in this series. Smith’s work continues to impress and I am glad to have taken the time to read this piece. Recommended for those who enjoy the Ballantyne series, as well as the reader whose interest in pre-Civil War America and nautical tales is high.
I fell under the spell of Wilbur Smith a number of years ago, particularly when I discovered his two series set in somewhat modern Africa. The stories were so full of adventure and discovery that I could not put them down. While he continues to build upon them, his extending the family tree sometimes went a little too far back for my liking. Smith discusses wanting to lay some groundwork for one of his minor characters in the Ballantyne series, Mungo St. John, in response to the request of many readers. Mungo was a highly controversial man who has a soft side, should one be able to find it buried under a lot of the other layers. He is an interesting man with much to prove and a great deal of passion. This emerges throughout the piece, as he is put into many situations he may not always enjoy. That being said, the reader can learn much about him in this piece, from his gritty determination through to his desire to make all things right. He may harbour a violent side, but he is also highly protective, which comes in handy on occasion as well. Others who find themselves complementing Mungo do well throughout this piece, as Smith and Addison add depth to the story with their supporting characters. Giving the reader some context about the time, these characters paint wonderful stories (though not always positive ones) about the time when slavery was waning in Europe but still going strong in America. The story itself was well paced and developed effectively for the time period. It held my attention for the most part, though did not offer up too many new nuggets of information about which I was not somewhat aware. Smith’s intention to lay some of the needed backstory and groundwork is done with ease and anyone entering this series will have many of the needed tools to find themselves fully ensconced before long. I look forward to more from Smith and his various collaborators when the chance arises.
Kudos, Messrs. Smith and Addison, for this wonderful piece of writing. I can only hope the Ballantynes continue to develop for as long as there are ideas to put to paper.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Taking the daring task of setting the scene with a prequel to one of his most popular series, Wilbur Smith collaborates with Corban Addison to create a stirring tale set in the 1840s. Before the Ballantyne family rose to notoriety, Mungo St. John was a young man with ambition and intelligence, studying in England. There, his family’s slave ownership soured many young men and Mungo finds himself trying to defend the possession of others. When he returned to America, Mungo discovers that slave owning is the least of his problems, when his family’s land is foreclosed upon and everything seized by a greedy man who all but killed the elder Mr. St. John. Included in the seizure is a young slave woman, named Camilla, someone Mungo holds in very high regard. As Mungo seeks to regain his family name and rush away from some of the trouble he has caused, he lies and changes his name to earn a spot on a ship sailing for Europe. Little does Mungo know the true purpose of the ship, or the horrors that await when he arrives on the other side of the Atlantic. Back in Louisiana, Camilla and many of the other slaves are moved to a cotton plantation, where they work to the bone by a ruthless slave owner, one who enjoys exerting much of his power over the women. He fancies Camilla and takes her as his own, only to leave her feeling used and abused, before she discovers that she is with child. Trying to use the pregnancy to keep herself alive, Camilla finds that she can do much more, given the opportunity and sly skills that she has acquired. When Mungo discovers that he is in the middle of a slave trading ship, he tries to hold his own, only to find himself in the middle of a rebellion on the trip back to America. Not wanting anything to do with the captain and crew who have employed him, Mungo does little to help them and saves his own life, but just. He vows that he will one day bring honour back to the St. John name and find Camilla, if only to see if they still have a chance to be happy. One more trip, under his own captaincy, to Africa sees Mungo St. John attempt a new life as a trader, this time of goods. Mungo does all he can to stay focussed, but he cannot shake that he must find and free Camilla, once and for all. The clash will be great and the risks high, but Mungo St. John is a man of his word and one who will die to ensure honour is kept. An interesting story that held my attention more than many of the other flashback tales in this series. Smith’s work continues to impress and I am glad to have taken the time to read this piece. Recommended for those who enjoy the Ballantyne series, as well as the reader whose interest in pre-Civil War America and nautical tales is high.
I fell under the spell of Wilbur Smith a number of years ago, particularly when I discovered his two series set in somewhat modern Africa. The stories were so full of adventure and discovery that I could not put them down. While he continues to build upon them, his extending the family tree sometimes went a little too far back for my liking. Smith discusses wanting to lay some groundwork for one of his minor characters in the Ballantyne series, Mungo St. John, in response to the request of many readers. Mungo was a highly controversial man who has a soft side, should one be able to find it buried under a lot of the other layers. He is an interesting man with much to prove and a great deal of passion. This emerges throughout the piece, as he is put into many situations he may not always enjoy. That being said, the reader can learn much about him in this piece, from his gritty determination through to his desire to make all things right. He may harbour a violent side, but he is also highly protective, which comes in handy on occasion as well. Others who find themselves complementing Mungo do well throughout this piece, as Smith and Addison add depth to the story with their supporting characters. Giving the reader some context about the time, these characters paint wonderful stories (though not always positive ones) about the time when slavery was waning in Europe but still going strong in America. The story itself was well paced and developed effectively for the time period. It held my attention for the most part, though did not offer up too many new nuggets of information about which I was not somewhat aware. Smith’s intention to lay some of the needed backstory and groundwork is done with ease and anyone entering this series will have many of the needed tools to find themselves fully ensconced before long. I look forward to more from Smith and his various collaborators when the chance arises.
Kudos, Messrs. Smith and Addison, for this wonderful piece of writing. I can only hope the Ballantynes continue to develop for as long as there are ideas to put to paper.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
September 8, 2020
Thank you so much to Bookish First and Zaffre Books for the ARC of Call of the Raven in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This is a prequel book to Smith's Ballantyne series, that introduces Mungo St. John and gives him an origin story.
I love historical fiction set in the Civil War and reconstruction era, although this is set a little earlier in the 1840s. The slave trade has been illegal for maybe 30 years and it didn't quite have the effect on slavery that the American leaders hoped - aka there is still an illegal trade, and breeding for profit became more prominent. This is the setting to which Mungo St. John returns from Cambridge to his father's Virginia plantation. A corrupt banker has murdered Mungo's father, seized the plantation and sold the slaves, and is about to visit even more atrocities on Mungo's lover, Camilla.
"There is only one law on this Earth, the law that gives the strong and wealthy power over the weak and poor"
The book is amazingly action packed as soon as Mungo returns to America. How does he exact revenge on the banker, Chester Marion? Through a complicated and somewhat diabolical scheme that entirely ruins Chester's life. Nothing seems to quite go Mungo's way though and we get to see the anti hero develop.
"I am not cut out to play the hero"
"A man like you can play any role in life he chooses"
Mungo is a walking contradiction, one of those gray characters that I know I should hate, but ended at least appreciating. He is more of an anti-hero. Revenge is the preeminent theme throughout the book. Camilla is another interesting character, her choices and actions are interesting as ones that at times required some thought as well. I didn't care as much for her chapters but she gives us the perception of a domestic slave with liberties once she gets to New Orleans. Without her I would have had a lot less to think about, and honestly because of her, I wanted to be the one torturing Marion at the end. She is one of the single things that gives readers a reason not to hate Mungo.
This book gave me a lot to think about that I either had forgotten or just never thought about. Things like: how exactly are the slaves transported? How are they rounded up to begin with? Why were the African chiefs involved in selling out their own people? How were the slaves fed on the ships? How did the sailors entertain themselves while sailing and dealing with the deplorable conditions? In what ways were the British involved in trying to put down the trade?
A lof of these questions are answered in ways that aren't for the squeamish, but I mean I am pretty sure that 99% of it actually happened. This is pretty well researched historical fiction and while the answers made me cringe at times, as we said, Mungo is no hero. One other reason that Mungo constantly made me think was that despite his actions, he really didn't seem to see much of a difference between skin colors and was constantly able to use this to his tactical advantage when dealing with other white men. I also love reading about piracy and pirates and life onboard ships, and Call of the Raven offers plenty of that as well. Do we mention that Raven is actually the name of Mungo's own ship?
Mungo VS Marion is going down as one of the best chase and arson and murder scenes I have ever read. I really can't wait to read the Ballantyne series at some point, it has been added strongly to my list. If nothing else Smith and Addison are flawless story tellers and kept me compelled throughout the novel
I say definitely read it if you are a fan of historical fiction, but not if you have delicate sensibilities. There are some parts that are hard to read but I don't think that ignoring the atrocities of the time period does anyone any favors, and reading Call of the Raven was a great exercise in morality, critical thinking, and would offer a wonderful discussion in characterization if anyone is interested.
"What in God's name-"
"God has no interest in this"
Thank you again to Bookish First and Zaffre books, all opinions are my own
This is a prequel book to Smith's Ballantyne series, that introduces Mungo St. John and gives him an origin story.
I love historical fiction set in the Civil War and reconstruction era, although this is set a little earlier in the 1840s. The slave trade has been illegal for maybe 30 years and it didn't quite have the effect on slavery that the American leaders hoped - aka there is still an illegal trade, and breeding for profit became more prominent. This is the setting to which Mungo St. John returns from Cambridge to his father's Virginia plantation. A corrupt banker has murdered Mungo's father, seized the plantation and sold the slaves, and is about to visit even more atrocities on Mungo's lover, Camilla.
"There is only one law on this Earth, the law that gives the strong and wealthy power over the weak and poor"
The book is amazingly action packed as soon as Mungo returns to America. How does he exact revenge on the banker, Chester Marion? Through a complicated and somewhat diabolical scheme that entirely ruins Chester's life. Nothing seems to quite go Mungo's way though and we get to see the anti hero develop.
"I am not cut out to play the hero"
"A man like you can play any role in life he chooses"
Mungo is a walking contradiction, one of those gray characters that I know I should hate, but ended at least appreciating. He is more of an anti-hero. Revenge is the preeminent theme throughout the book. Camilla is another interesting character, her choices and actions are interesting as ones that at times required some thought as well. I didn't care as much for her chapters but she gives us the perception of a domestic slave with liberties once she gets to New Orleans. Without her I would have had a lot less to think about, and honestly because of her, I wanted to be the one torturing Marion at the end. She is one of the single things that gives readers a reason not to hate Mungo.
This book gave me a lot to think about that I either had forgotten or just never thought about. Things like: how exactly are the slaves transported? How are they rounded up to begin with? Why were the African chiefs involved in selling out their own people? How were the slaves fed on the ships? How did the sailors entertain themselves while sailing and dealing with the deplorable conditions? In what ways were the British involved in trying to put down the trade?
A lof of these questions are answered in ways that aren't for the squeamish, but I mean I am pretty sure that 99% of it actually happened. This is pretty well researched historical fiction and while the answers made me cringe at times, as we said, Mungo is no hero. One other reason that Mungo constantly made me think was that despite his actions, he really didn't seem to see much of a difference between skin colors and was constantly able to use this to his tactical advantage when dealing with other white men. I also love reading about piracy and pirates and life onboard ships, and Call of the Raven offers plenty of that as well. Do we mention that Raven is actually the name of Mungo's own ship?
Mungo VS Marion is going down as one of the best chase and arson and murder scenes I have ever read. I really can't wait to read the Ballantyne series at some point, it has been added strongly to my list. If nothing else Smith and Addison are flawless story tellers and kept me compelled throughout the novel
I say definitely read it if you are a fan of historical fiction, but not if you have delicate sensibilities. There are some parts that are hard to read but I don't think that ignoring the atrocities of the time period does anyone any favors, and reading Call of the Raven was a great exercise in morality, critical thinking, and would offer a wonderful discussion in characterization if anyone is interested.
"What in God's name-"
"God has no interest in this"
Thank you again to Bookish First and Zaffre books, all opinions are my own
June 10, 2020
Giveaway win!
3.5 Stars
Call of the Raven is a prequel to Wilbur Smith's Ballantyne series. I haven't read the Ballantyne series but I was still able to enjoy this story. I'm sure if I was more familiar with that series and the character Mungo St John, that I would have enjoyed it even more.
Mungo St John is apparently the "villain" or at least he's the anti-hero of the series. According to the authors note at the beginning of the book Mungo St John is the character people love to hate. I could kind of understand why, Mungo has some dubious reasons for his behavior but I like a complicated and flawed character so Mungo grew on me.
Call of the Raven is a fun and compelling read. I think you'll enjoy it even if you like me haven't read the Ballantyne series.
3.5 Stars
Call of the Raven is a prequel to Wilbur Smith's Ballantyne series. I haven't read the Ballantyne series but I was still able to enjoy this story. I'm sure if I was more familiar with that series and the character Mungo St John, that I would have enjoyed it even more.
Mungo St John is apparently the "villain" or at least he's the anti-hero of the series. According to the authors note at the beginning of the book Mungo St John is the character people love to hate. I could kind of understand why, Mungo has some dubious reasons for his behavior but I like a complicated and flawed character so Mungo grew on me.
Call of the Raven is a fun and compelling read. I think you'll enjoy it even if you like me haven't read the Ballantyne series.
September 12, 2020
It must take a lot of courage for an author to write a prequel to a best-selling series and feature a prominent series character that readers “love to hate”. Especially considering that character is a slave trader intent on capturing blacks in Africa and selling them in America. Nevertheless, Wilbur Smith has teamed up with Corban Addison to so just that.
This novel is, essentially, Mungo St. John’s origin story. Born to wealth and privilege in 1840’s America as the son of a plantation owner, Mungo attend university in England only to return to find his inheritance stolen from him. His family’s enemies have colluded to manipulate loans and properties and their leader, Chester Marion, has even stolen Mongo’s childhood sweetheart, a black slave girl named Camilla that Mongo had grown up with. What follows is an extraordinary tale of revenge and the slow tragic decline of Mongo’s personal ethics. Despite Mongo’s choice of occupation, he actually makes for a great protagonist and I found myself rooting for him all the same.
Wilbur Smith fans will know what to expect from this novel and there is plenty of it. Adventure on land and sea, double-crosses, swashbuckling fights, sexy dalliances, duels for honor, unlikely but loyal friendships, and conniving plans all combine to make this one page-turner of a story. The novel is billed as part of the ‘Ballantyne’ series, but the only tie-in is Mongo, himself. No Ballantyne’s to be found.
This is another fun read by Wilbur Smith. I have no idea how much he wrote (considering his age of 87) and how much was written by Corban Addison but the result sure rings true to Wilbur’s style. I discovered Wilbur Smith’s books a couple of decades ago and always enjoy reading them, even if some of them are a little “over-the-top”. If adventure is what you’re looking for in a work of fiction, and you haven’t tried Wilbur Smith, then you are in for a treat.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review
This novel is, essentially, Mungo St. John’s origin story. Born to wealth and privilege in 1840’s America as the son of a plantation owner, Mungo attend university in England only to return to find his inheritance stolen from him. His family’s enemies have colluded to manipulate loans and properties and their leader, Chester Marion, has even stolen Mongo’s childhood sweetheart, a black slave girl named Camilla that Mongo had grown up with. What follows is an extraordinary tale of revenge and the slow tragic decline of Mongo’s personal ethics. Despite Mongo’s choice of occupation, he actually makes for a great protagonist and I found myself rooting for him all the same.
Wilbur Smith fans will know what to expect from this novel and there is plenty of it. Adventure on land and sea, double-crosses, swashbuckling fights, sexy dalliances, duels for honor, unlikely but loyal friendships, and conniving plans all combine to make this one page-turner of a story. The novel is billed as part of the ‘Ballantyne’ series, but the only tie-in is Mongo, himself. No Ballantyne’s to be found.
This is another fun read by Wilbur Smith. I have no idea how much he wrote (considering his age of 87) and how much was written by Corban Addison but the result sure rings true to Wilbur’s style. I discovered Wilbur Smith’s books a couple of decades ago and always enjoy reading them, even if some of them are a little “over-the-top”. If adventure is what you’re looking for in a work of fiction, and you haven’t tried Wilbur Smith, then you are in for a treat.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review
September 28, 2020
Wilbur Smith has also realized that some genres were just not for him, so he's back to what he does best - romanticise the adventures, describe Africa like no one else can and transport his readers to another time...
Please read my detailed review here https://rb.gy/o5azyp and let me know what you think.....
Please read my detailed review here https://rb.gy/o5azyp and let me know what you think.....
March 27, 2022
An epic tale by the master of the adventure novel itself...
Slavers and pirates plus a heart-wrenching love story!!!
All the ingredients for making a superb tale are there, rooted in the deep south of the USA...
And you will be guessing till the last page about the outcome.
Camilla is a beautiful slave girl which fall in love with the son of his master...
Can such a love have a future???
Treachery and wickedness, revenge and hate, but also heroic and self-sacrificing deeds!!!
This and much more waits for the reader...
Wilbur Smith has created indeed a fascinating and vivid world of love and betrayal, like Dumas in the "Count of Monte Christo"...
Believable characters and a fluent flow of the narration, never dull or boring...
Loved it!!!
Slavers and pirates plus a heart-wrenching love story!!!
All the ingredients for making a superb tale are there, rooted in the deep south of the USA...
And you will be guessing till the last page about the outcome.
Camilla is a beautiful slave girl which fall in love with the son of his master...
Can such a love have a future???
Treachery and wickedness, revenge and hate, but also heroic and self-sacrificing deeds!!!
This and much more waits for the reader...
Wilbur Smith has created indeed a fascinating and vivid world of love and betrayal, like Dumas in the "Count of Monte Christo"...
Believable characters and a fluent flow of the narration, never dull or boring...
Loved it!!!
Read
February 1, 2022Did not finish. The plot bored me.
March 20, 2020
This book was quite heavy to read and included a lot of historical ideas and subjects. With that being said, I enjoyed reading this book and the story and perspective it provides. I am glad that there are more books being written that deal with the atrocity of slavery and life as a slave. This book takes a deeper look at the institution and discusses what one man will do to exact his revenge for the things he had seen. I love how well written this book is and how the language is smart and reflective of deep thinking.
If this book demonstrates Wilbur Smith's other books and writing, then I would definitely read this more of his pieces. I really enjoyed the writing style and the over story of two characters fighting for what they want in life.
If this book demonstrates Wilbur Smith's other books and writing, then I would definitely read this more of his pieces. I really enjoyed the writing style and the over story of two characters fighting for what they want in life.
February 4, 2022
This book has really confused me. It is superbly written and gripping as all Wilbur Smith book are and it should be a five star review, and would be but for one major thing. Unless I am missing some sort of hidden message, it is a book where the hero is a slave trader. It just doesn't sit right with me to be rooting for a character that engages in the slave trade, whatever his reasons are for doing so. Just bizarre for a book published in 2020. I have thought long and hard and maybe I am missing something, but I cannot place what it might be.
I read this book alongside reading 'Why We Kneel, How We Rise' by Michael Holding and my brain just can't compute how Wilbur Smith thought it OK to write this. I know it is part of a series and I have not read the others, so maybe it is all part of a wider message that becomes clearer when I have read the others?
I read this book alongside reading 'Why We Kneel, How We Rise' by Michael Holding and my brain just can't compute how Wilbur Smith thought it OK to write this. I know it is part of a series and I have not read the others, so maybe it is all part of a wider message that becomes clearer when I have read the others?
January 30, 2020
"There is only one law on this earth - the law that gives the strong and wealthy power over the weak and poor."
Mungo St John, son of a Virginian plantation owner is studying in Cambridge when he receives a letter from his slave-sweetheart, Camilla. His father has died and the plantation is bankrupt. On his return, he finds out that his fathers attorney has played dirty and is now the new owner of the plantation. Chester even admits to him that he killed his father himself. All the slaves have been sold instead of being free as the father ordained in his will. A will that was in the hands of his attorney of course and now is destroyed. When Chester tries to kill Mungo, he manages to run away and meets up with the runaways Camilla and her grandfather. Chester murders the grandfather and makes out to kill Camilla as well, Mungo is locked up in jail for slave-stealing by the militia that turned up just in time to stop Chester from shooting him as well. His maternal grandfather Rutherford bails him out and orders him to go aboard of a ship sailing for Africa and make his own fortune. With Camilla dead, he sees no other manner in which he'll ever be able to challenge Chester. The voyage turns out to be disastrous. He soon finds out that they're a slaver ship, even though it is illegal. That makes it even ùmore profitable. On the way back the get into a fight with an English warship and barely escape after killing its captain and the officers that boarded. Later on, the slaves manage to escape due to stupidity of Mungo and they kill the whole crew. Miraculously Mungo and former slave Tippoo escape on a lifeboat
Meanwhile, Chester sells Windemere plantation to a consortium, that includes neighbour Cartwright, the leader of the militia. Apparently the plan was already made before St John's death. Camilla, he takes with him to farm cotton in Louisiana (to remind himself of an old enemy, he says). She is put to work on the fields during day-time and at night in his bed. She discovers to be pregnant from him. A son is born and named Isaac, Chester plans on raising him as if he is a son, even though legally he's still a slave.
Mungo St John is an ambiguous character. He's good-natured and morally knows that slavery is not ethical, but he's also a product of his time and pragmatic enough to understand that the economy of the American south depends on slavery. He's brought up on a plantation and been a slave owner from birth. So although he advocates slavery in a debate in Cambridge, he states that the slaves owned by his father have a fairly good life that's not all that different from the masses of poor labourers that work in the English factories in sometimes worse conditions (so he claims). It must be said that he and his father were atypical slave owners and seen as liberals that put wrong ideas in black heads by their neighbours. Also, not being a hypocrite he convinces himself that if you own slaves, you must also be able to go and get them yourself from Africa, even if that's illegal. And it doesn't take him very long to convince himself that if you own them, you must be able to bring them from Africa and even to capture them yourself.
On the other hand, he frees Tippoo as soon as he can and even before he treated him as an equal, black and a slave or not. He's also in love with Camilla with whom he grew up and contemplated bringing her to England in order to marry her, as it would not be possible in America.
Camilla is born as a slave and had a fairly easy life under St Johns. She's a survivor and once in the claws of Chester, she manages several times to change her bad luck and misery into an opportunity. She's a lot smarter than everybody (Chester included) thinks.
Chester who's the villain of the book is also a product of his time and his evilness in bringing Mungo's father to ruin is (apart from the murder) exactly what our contemporary multinational CEO's do nowadays. Only when you look at things up close and personal can you see the moral devaluation and hypocrisy. He doesn't hate slaves, he's just convinced that they are less than human. How horrible his behaviour toward his slaves looks, it's no different from what the majority did as the norm.
Edwin Fairchild is the 'good' character in this story as he's an advocate for abolitionism and a relentless slavers chaser but even he is a product of the time and can't understand how the blacks that carry the weapons in the attack on his own ship aren't the slaves that he's set out to protect and liberate, but the very men that capture the slaves to sell them to the whites.
As always, Wilbur Smith shows his deep love for Africa, its inhabitants and its nature in the minute and detailed descriptions of the jungles, the marshes, the villages. Apart from the smell, you can close your eyes and imagine that you're there. His eye for details doesn't stop in Africa, as the passages about the oceans, reefs, ships and life at sea, in general, are just as accurate. Life on the plantations and in New Orleans are also painted in, what I believe to be authentic, vivid colours.
This book sketches a very accurate picture of some of the sentiments and moral dilemma's of that period when abolitionists started to rear their heads. They had won a victory several years earlier when the African slave trade was outlawed. But they couldn't foresee that a business of locally bred slaves would create a new market and that the prices of slaves would be higher than ever. On top of that did the American navy do next to nothing to enforce this law. The English navy, on the other hand, did actively persecute the slavers, but despite being able to board American ships, they didn't have the authority to search them even though the stench of the human cargo would be tell-tale.
Another evil of the time was the intensive hunt for ivory, a practice that without a doubt helped to dwindle the number of wild elephants and other species to the state of being endangered or even completely extinct as certain rhinos became last year. But when cruelty to other humans was normal and even institutionalised and animal protection was limited to exhibiting wild animals in too small cages in zoo's, who would lose sleep over animals?
I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and this is my honest, unbiassed review.
Mungo St John, son of a Virginian plantation owner is studying in Cambridge when he receives a letter from his slave-sweetheart, Camilla. His father has died and the plantation is bankrupt. On his return, he finds out that his fathers attorney has played dirty and is now the new owner of the plantation. Chester even admits to him that he killed his father himself. All the slaves have been sold instead of being free as the father ordained in his will. A will that was in the hands of his attorney of course and now is destroyed. When Chester tries to kill Mungo, he manages to run away and meets up with the runaways Camilla and her grandfather. Chester murders the grandfather and makes out to kill Camilla as well, Mungo is locked up in jail for slave-stealing by the militia that turned up just in time to stop Chester from shooting him as well. His maternal grandfather Rutherford bails him out and orders him to go aboard of a ship sailing for Africa and make his own fortune. With Camilla dead, he sees no other manner in which he'll ever be able to challenge Chester. The voyage turns out to be disastrous. He soon finds out that they're a slaver ship, even though it is illegal. That makes it even ùmore profitable. On the way back the get into a fight with an English warship and barely escape after killing its captain and the officers that boarded. Later on, the slaves manage to escape due to stupidity of Mungo and they kill the whole crew. Miraculously Mungo and former slave Tippoo escape on a lifeboat
Meanwhile, Chester sells Windemere plantation to a consortium, that includes neighbour Cartwright, the leader of the militia. Apparently the plan was already made before St John's death. Camilla, he takes with him to farm cotton in Louisiana (to remind himself of an old enemy, he says). She is put to work on the fields during day-time and at night in his bed. She discovers to be pregnant from him. A son is born and named Isaac, Chester plans on raising him as if he is a son, even though legally he's still a slave.
Mungo St John is an ambiguous character. He's good-natured and morally knows that slavery is not ethical, but he's also a product of his time and pragmatic enough to understand that the economy of the American south depends on slavery. He's brought up on a plantation and been a slave owner from birth. So although he advocates slavery in a debate in Cambridge, he states that the slaves owned by his father have a fairly good life that's not all that different from the masses of poor labourers that work in the English factories in sometimes worse conditions (so he claims). It must be said that he and his father were atypical slave owners and seen as liberals that put wrong ideas in black heads by their neighbours. Also, not being a hypocrite he convinces himself that if you own slaves, you must also be able to go and get them yourself from Africa, even if that's illegal. And it doesn't take him very long to convince himself that if you own them, you must be able to bring them from Africa and even to capture them yourself.
On the other hand, he frees Tippoo as soon as he can and even before he treated him as an equal, black and a slave or not. He's also in love with Camilla with whom he grew up and contemplated bringing her to England in order to marry her, as it would not be possible in America.
Camilla is born as a slave and had a fairly easy life under St Johns. She's a survivor and once in the claws of Chester, she manages several times to change her bad luck and misery into an opportunity. She's a lot smarter than everybody (Chester included) thinks.
Chester who's the villain of the book is also a product of his time and his evilness in bringing Mungo's father to ruin is (apart from the murder) exactly what our contemporary multinational CEO's do nowadays. Only when you look at things up close and personal can you see the moral devaluation and hypocrisy. He doesn't hate slaves, he's just convinced that they are less than human. How horrible his behaviour toward his slaves looks, it's no different from what the majority did as the norm.
Edwin Fairchild is the 'good' character in this story as he's an advocate for abolitionism and a relentless slavers chaser but even he is a product of the time and can't understand how the blacks that carry the weapons in the attack on his own ship aren't the slaves that he's set out to protect and liberate, but the very men that capture the slaves to sell them to the whites.
As always, Wilbur Smith shows his deep love for Africa, its inhabitants and its nature in the minute and detailed descriptions of the jungles, the marshes, the villages. Apart from the smell, you can close your eyes and imagine that you're there. His eye for details doesn't stop in Africa, as the passages about the oceans, reefs, ships and life at sea, in general, are just as accurate. Life on the plantations and in New Orleans are also painted in, what I believe to be authentic, vivid colours.
This book sketches a very accurate picture of some of the sentiments and moral dilemma's of that period when abolitionists started to rear their heads. They had won a victory several years earlier when the African slave trade was outlawed. But they couldn't foresee that a business of locally bred slaves would create a new market and that the prices of slaves would be higher than ever. On top of that did the American navy do next to nothing to enforce this law. The English navy, on the other hand, did actively persecute the slavers, but despite being able to board American ships, they didn't have the authority to search them even though the stench of the human cargo would be tell-tale.
Another evil of the time was the intensive hunt for ivory, a practice that without a doubt helped to dwindle the number of wild elephants and other species to the state of being endangered or even completely extinct as certain rhinos became last year. But when cruelty to other humans was normal and even institutionalised and animal protection was limited to exhibiting wild animals in too small cages in zoo's, who would lose sleep over animals?
I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and this is my honest, unbiassed review.
January 9, 2021
Mungo St. John, personaggio affascinante e ricco di chiaroscuri. Mancava davvero un romanzo in cui si narrasse come è diventato il personaggio che abbiamo tanto amato/odiato nella saga Ballantyne.
July 8, 2024
Would really recommend this book as you can handle a bit of violence and a heartbreaking finish!!
January 28, 2020
Call of the Raven is the early days story of Mungo St. John, who most of us met in A Falcon Flies. In Call of the Raven we learn what made him who he was later in life. It was wonderful to revisit this strong character. Mungo is the son of a plantation owner. He returns to Virginia to find that he is bankrupt in the wake of his father's death. The plantation, his slave girl lover Camilla, and everything has been taken from him. He vows to take revenge on the man that has ruined him, but to do that he needs money. What will Mungo do for money and for revenge, and will it all turn out in his favor in the end?
I am biased as I have loved Wilbur Smith books for decades, especially the Ballantyne and Courtney books. In the last few years Mr. Smith has needed help from ghost writers and there were a couple of those that faltered but he has been on stride with the last several publications. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give an honest review of #CalloftheRaven.
I am biased as I have loved Wilbur Smith books for decades, especially the Ballantyne and Courtney books. In the last few years Mr. Smith has needed help from ghost writers and there were a couple of those that faltered but he has been on stride with the last several publications. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give an honest review of #CalloftheRaven.
April 8, 2020
okay well first off. didn't see the ending coming. like wow lmfao. that was. climatic? still didn't really care for the book tho. didn't like the characters for the most part and the story was, tho not horrible just not the historical fiction i care for.
April 21, 2020
Can Revenge Win?
I just finished Call of the Raven by Wilbur Smith with Corban Addison. It is a prequel for the an old Ballentyne Series by Wilbur Smith. I have not read this series. This book explores Mungo St. John. Mungo is a young man who is the son of a wealthy plantation owner and has spent time getting his education abroad. His love interest is Camilla, a slave owned by his father. His father’s lawyer, Chester Marion, hoodwinked Mungo’s father into some bad business deals. Mungo returns to find that his father lost everything, Camilla is now Chester’s slave, and Windemere has been bought by Chester.
Seeking revenge rules Mungo’s life. He has no money and works on a slave ship and goes to Africa. He vows to to seek revenge. I had a love/hate relationship with Mungo. Smith and Addison do a wonderful job creating life during this time period. I especially liked Camilla. She makes the best of her very difficult life. I know from having read this prequel, I am going to start reading the series.
Thank you Bookish First and Zaffre Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just finished Call of the Raven by Wilbur Smith with Corban Addison. It is a prequel for the an old Ballentyne Series by Wilbur Smith. I have not read this series. This book explores Mungo St. John. Mungo is a young man who is the son of a wealthy plantation owner and has spent time getting his education abroad. His love interest is Camilla, a slave owned by his father. His father’s lawyer, Chester Marion, hoodwinked Mungo’s father into some bad business deals. Mungo returns to find that his father lost everything, Camilla is now Chester’s slave, and Windemere has been bought by Chester.
Seeking revenge rules Mungo’s life. He has no money and works on a slave ship and goes to Africa. He vows to to seek revenge. I had a love/hate relationship with Mungo. Smith and Addison do a wonderful job creating life during this time period. I especially liked Camilla. She makes the best of her very difficult life. I know from having read this prequel, I am going to start reading the series.
Thank you Bookish First and Zaffre Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2020
After the first couple of chapters, I knew that this book was going to provide a lot for thought on the topic of slavery in America and it absolutely did. But what I wasn’t expecting was a compelling story, character growth, and the story about family that was delivered. I absolutely devoured this book and am planning on reading more by this author.
Mungo St. John, the protagonist (in theory) of this book starts out a naive, but quick-witted schoolboy but has to come to terms with his reversal of fortunes. Mungo is such a morally grey character; it is just fascinating to watch his reasoning for committing the atrocities he does. However, for me, the real star of the book is Camilla, a slave who is intertwined in this whole mess. The choices she makes, her adaptability to her situation, and the person she becomes are the highlight of this book. She is such a strong character and her experience is told equally to Mungo’s.
If you’re looking for a well researched historical fiction about slavery in America that is also just a great story, I highly recommend this book.
Mungo St. John, the protagonist (in theory) of this book starts out a naive, but quick-witted schoolboy but has to come to terms with his reversal of fortunes. Mungo is such a morally grey character; it is just fascinating to watch his reasoning for committing the atrocities he does. However, for me, the real star of the book is Camilla, a slave who is intertwined in this whole mess. The choices she makes, her adaptability to her situation, and the person she becomes are the highlight of this book. She is such a strong character and her experience is told equally to Mungo’s.
If you’re looking for a well researched historical fiction about slavery in America that is also just a great story, I highly recommend this book.
April 12, 2020
Can this man’s writing get any better?! Yes, yes it can. Wilbur Smith’s “Call of the Raven” takes the reader back into time to the plantation south, where people are put on display and worked like animals all because of the color of their skin. With the help of Corbin Addison, Smith divides head first into a world that helped create the reality we see today in United States of America. As a Dramaturge who specializes in multiculturalism, I think the biggest take away from this novel is the following question: If you were white during the time period of Mungo St John, what morals would you possess pertaining to slavery? This can be answered two-fold: you could believe that you have higher morals and would never do such a thing or you could be caught up with the reaities of that time period and face the fact most people are a product of the society in which they live in in order to survive.
July 12, 2020
This book is a collaboration of authors, Wilbur Smith and Corban Addison. It’s not typical Corban style and haven’t read WS for many years - it is a heart wrenching story of the dying years of the African slave trade. Corban Addison always writes stories on social injustice themes and this is no exception. He researches his subjects so well and travels to the places where his stories emanate from, to get a better understanding of what is being highlighted. I’m personally not a big fan of graphic details - that is where Wilbur Smith fans will recognize his style and it’s rated no 1 best seller in my country, so I say if you like either or both authors, then it’s a must read.
December 21, 2022
A typical Wilbur Smith book full of heroes and villains and beautiful women who can't help but want to be with the heroes. This book was more difficult to love because the main character was a slave trader - even with Smith's best efforts to try and rationalize the character's decisions, it was impossible to overlook them.
February 1, 2021
The Raven was a typical Wilbur Smith adventure: full of action, suspense, love and revenge. The novel contains very graphic descriptions of various different topical issues, but necessary for the background and demographic of the era it was written in. I will never tire reading Wilbur Smith's books and I am just about to start another!
December 27, 2021
4.25
Well written, emotional and really really dark.
Themes of redemption, revenge and how far a human is willing to go.
Also, not a happy ending, with the stories "hero" taking the worst path he could take.
Only issue I had with it is how Mungo is almost presented as a God amongst men, who is so much better at everything than a mortal man, it got a little tiring at points, would be interested in reading the later books in this world and seeing other characters i assume somewhat going against Mungo
Well written, emotional and really really dark.
Themes of redemption, revenge and how far a human is willing to go.
Also, not a happy ending, with the stories "hero" taking the worst path he could take.
Only issue I had with it is how Mungo is almost presented as a God amongst men, who is so much better at everything than a mortal man, it got a little tiring at points, would be interested in reading the later books in this world and seeing other characters i assume somewhat going against Mungo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2020
Perhaps Wilbur Smith should have found some co-authors about 5 years earlier than he did, because this late stuff is much better than his late solo work. This is a prequel to the Rhodesia-set Ballantyne novels. It is unusual in that Smith's protagonist is an antihero, one who in the later works becomes something of a monster--Mungo St. John. But here he is mostly admirable. Smith seeks to show his descent into evil in a way that is understandable though not justifiable.
I also appreciated the way in which Smith dealt with southern slavery. He is in no way dismissive or any equivocal, but he comes off as much more sensitive-and sensible--than today's social justice crowd. And (thanks to the co-author, I assume) the diction shows a remarkable versatility. Time and time again I found myself thinking that the writer had found just the mot juste.
All told, a wonderful accomplishment. I would not be surprised to find Smith (assuming he lives long enough!) returning to this intriguing antihero.
I also appreciated the way in which Smith dealt with southern slavery. He is in no way dismissive or any equivocal, but he comes off as much more sensitive-and sensible--than today's social justice crowd. And (thanks to the co-author, I assume) the diction shows a remarkable versatility. Time and time again I found myself thinking that the writer had found just the mot juste.
All told, a wonderful accomplishment. I would not be surprised to find Smith (assuming he lives long enough!) returning to this intriguing antihero.
February 22, 2024
3.5 just making the 4 stars, I think.
November 18, 2022
Typical Wilbur Smith, a story filled with adventure and gore, detestable people, and good persons doing bad things.
It misses some of his magic, though.
It misses some of his magic, though.
December 15, 2020
A high action adventure story of revenge, set in American plantations, England and Africa. The book opens with a debate about the abolition of slavery between students at Cambridge University in 1841. Very timely considering how the world is at the moment with the Black Lives Matter movement. The two men in the debate are destined to clash many times again - you can feel it.
Brutal in places, depicting cruelty to both man and beast, the story covers the ivory trade and the harrowing use of slaves in the New World of the nineteenth century. Yet, despite the uncomfortable aspects it is still an easy read in places when romance and history take over.
Wilbur Smith is a giant of a storyteller, famed for his tales of adventure set in Africa and this book is perfect for his many fans.
Brutal in places, depicting cruelty to both man and beast, the story covers the ivory trade and the harrowing use of slaves in the New World of the nineteenth century. Yet, despite the uncomfortable aspects it is still an easy read in places when romance and history take over.
Wilbur Smith is a giant of a storyteller, famed for his tales of adventure set in Africa and this book is perfect for his many fans.
February 23, 2023
This just didn't grab me. It felt melodramatic and predictable at times, and there just wasn't much depth in the characters. I read it for a book club whose members gave it a wide range of reviews, from loving it to meh. I guess it just wasn't for me.
July 14, 2020
If you want a good lead in to the Ballantyne series this is the place to start. Released as an 0.5 edition it follows the story of Mungo St John one of the main characters of the first book, A Falcon Flies.
Purely as a stand a lone I found this book to be a rollicking page turner and have given it a high rating accordingly. Now that I'm hooked I can only hope that the rest of the novels in the series are equally as enjoyable as this one was.
Purely as a stand a lone I found this book to be a rollicking page turner and have given it a high rating accordingly. Now that I'm hooked I can only hope that the rest of the novels in the series are equally as enjoyable as this one was.
June 19, 2020
This book is excruciatingly irritating.
There are at least four plot twists which are extremely implausible. Further Corban Addison is entirely deficient in the poetry of language which distinguishes Wilbur Smith’s writing, particularly prior to 2010.
I have twenty years experience as a naval architect and whilst I have no professional experience on timber sailing ships Wilbur Smith describes in an earlier novel, A Falcon Flies, that the traditional vertical separation between slave decks was twenty inches.
I understand that each slave was shackled at wrists and ankles to the deck so Corban Addison’s description that “…The keys flew past him and dropped through the hatch to the lower deck...” would result in enabling any slave to release their shackles without assistance is implausible to me. It is also implausible to me that enough slaves could escape, if any slaves could undo their shackles without assistance, debilitated after being shackled in a confined space for several weeks during the sail from Western Africa to the Caribbean, fast enough to overpower the crew to mutiny, or without any experience or training, could sail a tall ship.
Corban Addison describes a sailing ship, damaged after several days in the midst of a powerful storm, being driven toward a reef at terrifying speed and being unable to beat away. Corban describes that the ship and crew escape this predicament by dropping its cannon and cargo of ivory tusks overboard sufficient to decrease the draught and sail over the reef. I consider it is implausible that the crew of a sailing ship could remove the lashings securing cannon and throw them overboard and lift ivory stored in lower decks and throw them overboard in the short period of time from when a reef is unexpectedly sighted in the midst of a storm before crashing into the reef.
Wilbur Smith in the novel, A Falcon Flies, first published in 1980 describes Mungo St John as being an excellent marksman able to handle “...both the long-barrelled duelling pistol and the Sharps rifle as though they were an extension of his own body” at some time after the mid 1880s. I find it surprising that Corban Addison implies that the muzzle velocity of a pistol is so low and that Mungo’s aim so poor prior to the mid 1880s that an unrushed head shot from stable footing at his villain would result in him shooting dead his love interest through the chest.
Wilbur Smith’s website proclaims that meticulous research is one of the trademarks of his books and in the past I believe have read that Wilbur considers that he is performing a great public service by continuing to publish new books. I have copies of forty Wilbur Smith titles many of which have pride of place in my home library but I would suggest that this work of Corban’s meets neither the meticulous research nor the value criteria.
I am pleased to write that I will not be wasting my own money on this book as I borrowed a copy from my local library.
There are at least four plot twists which are extremely implausible. Further Corban Addison is entirely deficient in the poetry of language which distinguishes Wilbur Smith’s writing, particularly prior to 2010.
I have twenty years experience as a naval architect and whilst I have no professional experience on timber sailing ships Wilbur Smith describes in an earlier novel, A Falcon Flies, that the traditional vertical separation between slave decks was twenty inches.
I understand that each slave was shackled at wrists and ankles to the deck so Corban Addison’s description that “…The keys flew past him and dropped through the hatch to the lower deck...” would result in enabling any slave to release their shackles without assistance is implausible to me. It is also implausible to me that enough slaves could escape, if any slaves could undo their shackles without assistance, debilitated after being shackled in a confined space for several weeks during the sail from Western Africa to the Caribbean, fast enough to overpower the crew to mutiny, or without any experience or training, could sail a tall ship.
Corban Addison describes a sailing ship, damaged after several days in the midst of a powerful storm, being driven toward a reef at terrifying speed and being unable to beat away. Corban describes that the ship and crew escape this predicament by dropping its cannon and cargo of ivory tusks overboard sufficient to decrease the draught and sail over the reef. I consider it is implausible that the crew of a sailing ship could remove the lashings securing cannon and throw them overboard and lift ivory stored in lower decks and throw them overboard in the short period of time from when a reef is unexpectedly sighted in the midst of a storm before crashing into the reef.
Wilbur Smith in the novel, A Falcon Flies, first published in 1980 describes Mungo St John as being an excellent marksman able to handle “...both the long-barrelled duelling pistol and the Sharps rifle as though they were an extension of his own body” at some time after the mid 1880s. I find it surprising that Corban Addison implies that the muzzle velocity of a pistol is so low and that Mungo’s aim so poor prior to the mid 1880s that an unrushed head shot from stable footing at his villain would result in him shooting dead his love interest through the chest.
Wilbur Smith’s website proclaims that meticulous research is one of the trademarks of his books and in the past I believe have read that Wilbur considers that he is performing a great public service by continuing to publish new books. I have copies of forty Wilbur Smith titles many of which have pride of place in my home library but I would suggest that this work of Corban’s meets neither the meticulous research nor the value criteria.
I am pleased to write that I will not be wasting my own money on this book as I borrowed a copy from my local library.
March 23, 2020
This book opened strong. Mungo, the son of a plantation owner, was in England at school in the 1840s when his slave girlfriend wrote him a letter that his father had died and to come home quickly. Upon returning home he discovered that his father had not just died, he had been killed by a man named Chester so the plantation, the slaves, and Mungo's sweetheart Camilla could be captured. Mungo attempted to fight against Chester but was overwhelmed.
At this point Mungo thinks Camilla has been killed and vows to do whatever he can to avenge her and destroy Chester brick by brick. He sails off and does things that are both illegal and unethical in an attempt to make enough money to achieve his goals. Mungo seems to simultaneously have both the best and the worst luck. He always survives when most others don't or wouldn't but he hardly gets closer to his goals, until he finds out Camilla is actually still alive and decides that he will do anything to get her back.
This book has some very Count of Monte Cristo vibes, except in the Count of Monte Cristo, there is a large gap missing where Edmund goes off to prepare for his revenge. In the Call of the Raven the bulk of the book's 400+ pages are focused on that preparation. The revenge part happens quickly and is almost anti-climactic. The middle of the book seems to be written boastfully and in an attempt to do little more than boastfully show off the skills and brains of the unrealistic main character.
This book started strong, as I mentioned above, but that did not last. The way the author describes women is laughable and makes me wonder if he has ever seen a naked woman in his life. Additionally I spent the bulk of the book mentally screaming, "just get on with it already!" Then, at the end of the book, everything happened so quickly and was so hastily described that I ended up confused. Personally, I felt like the middle of the book should have been less drawn out and the end of the book more clearly written.
This book wasn't awful, I think the plot had a lot of potential and parts of it were really enchanting, but it struck me as shallow and vapid and unable to hold my attention for the duration.
At this point Mungo thinks Camilla has been killed and vows to do whatever he can to avenge her and destroy Chester brick by brick. He sails off and does things that are both illegal and unethical in an attempt to make enough money to achieve his goals. Mungo seems to simultaneously have both the best and the worst luck. He always survives when most others don't or wouldn't but he hardly gets closer to his goals, until he finds out Camilla is actually still alive and decides that he will do anything to get her back.
This book has some very Count of Monte Cristo vibes, except in the Count of Monte Cristo, there is a large gap missing where Edmund goes off to prepare for his revenge. In the Call of the Raven the bulk of the book's 400+ pages are focused on that preparation. The revenge part happens quickly and is almost anti-climactic. The middle of the book seems to be written boastfully and in an attempt to do little more than boastfully show off the skills and brains of the unrealistic main character.
This book started strong, as I mentioned above, but that did not last. The way the author describes women is laughable and makes me wonder if he has ever seen a naked woman in his life. Additionally I spent the bulk of the book mentally screaming, "just get on with it already!" Then, at the end of the book, everything happened so quickly and was so hastily described that I ended up confused. Personally, I felt like the middle of the book should have been less drawn out and the end of the book more clearly written.
This book wasn't awful, I think the plot had a lot of potential and parts of it were really enchanting, but it struck me as shallow and vapid and unable to hold my attention for the duration.
April 22, 2020
Call of the Raven // by Wilbur Smith
Call of the Raven is the story of the son of a slave owner who was swindled out of his inheritance and lost the love of his life with it. It follows him as he plans and attempts to execute his revenge in an eerily similar way to the Count of Monte Cristo. There are many ups and downs on Mungo St. John's journey but is he ready to pay the price that his success demands?
Call of the Raven is the first Wilbur Smith book I have read but this experience was so good that I immediately added his other books to my TBR pile. Smith's writing is excellent and his world-building and character development is stunning. Aside from an interesting and engaging story, you can enjoy the clear and concise writing itself as well. While I cannot always agree to or approve of Mungo's reasoning behind his actions, it is easy to follow his thought process and see how he comes to the conclusions. Smith shows you that bad people can have good moments just like good people can have bad ones. Mungo struggles with his morality but feels that his end goals demand and approve clearly unethical moves. This book had my feelings all over the place and I cannot wait to let Smith pull me into the next one.
Call of the Raven is the story of the son of a slave owner who was swindled out of his inheritance and lost the love of his life with it. It follows him as he plans and attempts to execute his revenge in an eerily similar way to the Count of Monte Cristo. There are many ups and downs on Mungo St. John's journey but is he ready to pay the price that his success demands?
Call of the Raven is the first Wilbur Smith book I have read but this experience was so good that I immediately added his other books to my TBR pile. Smith's writing is excellent and his world-building and character development is stunning. Aside from an interesting and engaging story, you can enjoy the clear and concise writing itself as well. While I cannot always agree to or approve of Mungo's reasoning behind his actions, it is easy to follow his thought process and see how he comes to the conclusions. Smith shows you that bad people can have good moments just like good people can have bad ones. Mungo struggles with his morality but feels that his end goals demand and approve clearly unethical moves. This book had my feelings all over the place and I cannot wait to let Smith pull me into the next one.
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