|
Captain Jamie Skoyles has come up through the ranks of the British Army. He received his commission in recognition of his bravery in action. Now, in the spring of 1777, the British army is marching into the Hudson Valley from Canada. The sparsely manned Fort Ticonderoga is quickly taken, and the British leaders become overconfident.
When Skoyles meets Elizabeth Rainham at a governor’s ball, he is immediately attracted to her. He soon learns, however, that she is engaged to his commanding officer, the egotistical and sadistic Major Harry Featherstone.
The British are defeated at Saratoga and Skoyles is taken captive. He has come to love the country and decides to remain in America, no matter which side wins the final battle.
I especially enjoyed the author’s characterizations of Daniel Lukins and Marcus Wolverton, two British soldiers who spent most of their time fighting each other. But I’m skeptical of the completely evil nature he attributed to the Indians. The novel is well-researched (Garland is a British historian interested in the American Revolution), but the cover art doesn’t match the content. George Washington is definitely “center stage,” but I don’t believe he was at the battle of Saratoga. SARATOGA is the first in a series based on the American Revolutionary War. I look forward to reading the sequel, VALLEY FORGE.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
January 21, 2007
|
