craftingrama's review against another edition
2.0
confusing and boring, the narrator didn't help in the slightest either
imakandiway's review against another edition
I'm getting to old and my patience to thin for this level of xenophobia, racism & sexism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Colonisation
erin2254's review against another edition
2.0
****MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD****
A falcon flies is the first novel in the Ballantyne series and tells the story of an English woman and her brother, born to a well-renowned missionary named Fuller Ballantyne. Robyn and her brother Morriss “Zouga” Ballantyne, were born and raised in Africa but early in life migrated back to England with their parents. Having ruined his reputation Fuller has disappeared into the heart of South Africa, which is flourishing still in the dangerous slave trade (that he and his family are most ardently opposed to). Together the brother and sister duo set out on a sponsored expedition to find their father, continue his missionary agenda, report on the slave trade in South Africa, as well as hunt big game, and discover new territory.
Oh, man...
I will start by saying, this experience was exhausting. I physically destroyed this thing, and not because I enjoyed it, but because I was aggressively fidgeting out of annoyance.
There are scenes about hunting elephants and hippos that take up more than 10 full pages apiece, in excruciating, bloody, disgusting detail. I felt more compassion for the slaughtered animals than for any of the actual characters.
There are so many sailing scenes and through the bulk of these drawn-out portions nothing that caters to the one-dimensional characters and their development. The ship scenes are also really difficult to follow, which is fine as I don't know the first thing about sailing, but if you are going to include some good old 'salt speech' in an adventure book at least make it enjoyable and not all about historical accuracy. In saying this, I will also point out that the entire novel is meticulously wordy, and absent a sober editor.
The character introspection is detailed, but not great. I get that it doesn't take place in a female-friendly era, but a woman's inner dialogue doesn't need to always match the outer expectations of the times. I don't need to hear the lead female mentally agonize over how she is not a good “Christian woman” because of her unholy desires and then not find a way to remove herself from these self-deprecating thoughts eventually or learn something worthwhile about herself in the process. These thoughts are otherwise a fruitless dead end for the reader, well, at least for me they are. I felt no kinship with Robyn,
which as it turns out doesn't even matter, because while the description of this book heralds an accomplished female protagonist (who is a damn doctor in the mid 19th century) we hardly get to even see or hear from them other than small sections at the beginning and end of an epic that boasts nearly 700 pages.
None of the characters has any strong attachments. There was literally nothing heartfelt or sentimental to me about this book aside from small fragmental bonds between minor characters and the protag, that I would have liked him to build on more. Like why Does Robyn form such a strong attachment to the one little girl they rescued from a slave ship? Out of 28 others? Let's find out! ..no? She's just going to become a gimmicky sidekick?... Well, ALRIGHTY then. Any spark of sentimentality that showed itself was just as quickly snuffed out. The relationship and feelings Robyn has for Captain mungo St. John is a giant slap in the face to all women. When she Tells him they can't ever marry unless he releases his slaves I could almost taste the build-up of bile in the back of my throat.
There is also a problem with buildup, Like when they find the magical land of Monotanapa which is a highly coveted kingdom that supposedly no white man has seen with his own eyes. I'm fully expecting Indiana Jones vibes, Atlantis, Eldorado, THE GREAT VALLEY! But because I don't have an attachment to these characters, it was unsatisfying. When Robyn is crying for her brother to come and share in her discovery of their father's signature on the cave wall leading to the opening of the land, I felt nothing. It would have been so much better if they had developed a real brother-sister bond and her tears actually moved him in some way. Instead, it felt like she was nagging him during what should have been a pivotal moment. I was so confused.
When they find their father unexpectedly ill, both siblings are disgusted by his infirmity. Even Robyn, who loves her father dearly. When Zouga burns the pages of his father's decade of journals and doesn't give Robyn the chance to look over them herself.... man, what can I say? We are 412 pages in at this point and the man hasn't learned a damn thing but how to glean pounds upon pounds of ivory. I would have liked to witness her shove those tusks up his entitled arse.
There is one impressively written scene in the book with an African witch/oracle that includes a cave and hundreds of dead skeletons and two black mambas that are docile only to the woman. (Much to Zougas horror). I really did enjoy this, It was eerie and I could really feel Zougas fear and curiosity. The parts that followed were somewhat redeeming for me as well.
I thought the description of the land was very well done. Other than that, I hated it. Truly. The most vivid and intriguing points in this book seem to be supported on shock value alone. There is one horrific scene that comes to mind of a slave ship sinking with something like 300 souls on board (Dead, sick, and alive). The descriptions of the smell, and the stripes of shit and vomit leaking from the outside of the vessel, and the fact that the inhabitants are all young girls chained and stacked like Tetris blocks, is heartbreaking. The English naval ship tries to capture this vessel as a “prize” and ends up capsizing it instead, drowning most of the slaves. Then the captain of the English vessel goes on a brutal killing spree of the territory that produced these slaves. Maybe I am just not a fan of historical fiction because I believe these parts were well written and probably very accurate. It was just awful to read, and like I was saying before, the only child that was saved from this ship was reduced to a guinea pig for the main character. I think she could have been so much more, she was literally the only survivor from that horrible scene! (28 others were retrieved but all died of illness and malnutrition).
This is the longest review I have ever written, and it had to be because something needs to be said about a book that keeps you stuck in reading limbo for two weeks.
What a cluster f***. Maybe the other books get better, I am unfortunately not brave enough to find out.
A falcon flies is the first novel in the Ballantyne series and tells the story of an English woman and her brother, born to a well-renowned missionary named Fuller Ballantyne. Robyn and her brother Morriss “Zouga” Ballantyne, were born and raised in Africa but early in life migrated back to England with their parents. Having ruined his reputation Fuller has disappeared into the heart of South Africa, which is flourishing still in the dangerous slave trade (that he and his family are most ardently opposed to). Together the brother and sister duo set out on a sponsored expedition to find their father, continue his missionary agenda, report on the slave trade in South Africa, as well as hunt big game, and discover new territory.
Oh, man...
I will start by saying, this experience was exhausting. I physically destroyed this thing, and not because I enjoyed it, but because I was aggressively fidgeting out of annoyance.
There are scenes about hunting elephants and hippos that take up more than 10 full pages apiece, in excruciating, bloody, disgusting detail. I felt more compassion for the slaughtered animals than for any of the actual characters.
There are so many sailing scenes and through the bulk of these drawn-out portions nothing that caters to the one-dimensional characters and their development. The ship scenes are also really difficult to follow, which is fine as I don't know the first thing about sailing, but if you are going to include some good old 'salt speech' in an adventure book at least make it enjoyable and not all about historical accuracy. In saying this, I will also point out that the entire novel is meticulously wordy, and absent a sober editor.
The character introspection is detailed, but not great. I get that it doesn't take place in a female-friendly era, but a woman's inner dialogue doesn't need to always match the outer expectations of the times. I don't need to hear the lead female mentally agonize over how she is not a good “Christian woman” because of her unholy desires and then not find a way to remove herself from these self-deprecating thoughts eventually or learn something worthwhile about herself in the process. These thoughts are otherwise a fruitless dead end for the reader, well, at least for me they are. I felt no kinship with Robyn,
which as it turns out doesn't even matter, because while the description of this book heralds an accomplished female protagonist (who is a damn doctor in the mid 19th century) we hardly get to even see or hear from them other than small sections at the beginning and end of an epic that boasts nearly 700 pages.
None of the characters has any strong attachments. There was literally nothing heartfelt or sentimental to me about this book aside from small fragmental bonds between minor characters and the protag, that I would have liked him to build on more. Like why Does Robyn form such a strong attachment to the one little girl they rescued from a slave ship? Out of 28 others? Let's find out! ..no? She's just going to become a gimmicky sidekick?... Well, ALRIGHTY then. Any spark of sentimentality that showed itself was just as quickly snuffed out. The relationship and feelings Robyn has for Captain mungo St. John is a giant slap in the face to all women. When she Tells him they can't ever marry unless he releases his slaves I could almost taste the build-up of bile in the back of my throat.
There is also a problem with buildup, Like when they find the magical land of Monotanapa which is a highly coveted kingdom that supposedly no white man has seen with his own eyes. I'm fully expecting Indiana Jones vibes, Atlantis, Eldorado, THE GREAT VALLEY! But because I don't have an attachment to these characters, it was unsatisfying. When Robyn is crying for her brother to come and share in her discovery of their father's signature on the cave wall leading to the opening of the land, I felt nothing. It would have been so much better if they had developed a real brother-sister bond and her tears actually moved him in some way. Instead, it felt like she was nagging him during what should have been a pivotal moment. I was so confused.
When they find their father unexpectedly ill, both siblings are disgusted by his infirmity. Even Robyn, who loves her father dearly. When Zouga burns the pages of his father's decade of journals and doesn't give Robyn the chance to look over them herself.... man, what can I say? We are 412 pages in at this point and the man hasn't learned a damn thing but how to glean pounds upon pounds of ivory. I would have liked to witness her shove those tusks up his entitled arse.
There is one impressively written scene in the book with an African witch/oracle that includes a cave and hundreds of dead skeletons and two black mambas that are docile only to the woman. (Much to Zougas horror). I really did enjoy this, It was eerie and I could really feel Zougas fear and curiosity. The parts that followed were somewhat redeeming for me as well.
I thought the description of the land was very well done. Other than that, I hated it. Truly. The most vivid and intriguing points in this book seem to be supported on shock value alone. There is one horrific scene that comes to mind of a slave ship sinking with something like 300 souls on board (Dead, sick, and alive). The descriptions of the smell, and the stripes of shit and vomit leaking from the outside of the vessel, and the fact that the inhabitants are all young girls chained and stacked like Tetris blocks, is heartbreaking. The English naval ship tries to capture this vessel as a “prize” and ends up capsizing it instead, drowning most of the slaves. Then the captain of the English vessel goes on a brutal killing spree of the territory that produced these slaves. Maybe I am just not a fan of historical fiction because I believe these parts were well written and probably very accurate. It was just awful to read, and like I was saying before, the only child that was saved from this ship was reduced to a guinea pig for the main character. I think she could have been so much more, she was literally the only survivor from that horrible scene! (28 others were retrieved but all died of illness and malnutrition).
This is the longest review I have ever written, and it had to be because something needs to be said about a book that keeps you stuck in reading limbo for two weeks.
What a cluster f***. Maybe the other books get better, I am unfortunately not brave enough to find out.
angelahayes's review against another edition
4.0
Wilbur Smith books were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up. As I grew older and went looking for more ‘interesting’ things to read, Mr. Smith was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I gravitated to. I read everything he had written up to that point, and then through the years I kept up with each new release. It had been many years since I last read one of his books, but in the past few months have found myself exploring them once more.
Wilbur Smith is one of my mother’s favourite authors, and as she has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months, I had given her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was in there. On the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her- but I also read each book she is reading, too, so she can discuss them with me in detail when I am there to visit her. It has been a great bonding experience for us, and I have enjoyed revisiting Mr. Smith’s work.
A Falcon Flies is the first book in the Ballantyne Series by Wilbur Smith. it is powerful, shocking, engrossing, and dramatic. It is set in the 1860's, when the slave trade was rife. This chronicles the history of the Ballantyne family and their connections to Africa. There are conflicts of morality and passion, naval action, tension, danger... and so much more. An engrossing read!
Mr. Smith has a great knack for writing a great suspenseful and exciting read, and even though my tastes have evolved as I have gotten older, I still really enjoyed revisiting this book/series.
So if you are a history buff, love a powerful read and want a book that will hold your interest and that you can immerse yourself into- then this may be the book/series for you!
Wilbur Smith is one of my mother’s favourite authors, and as she has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months, I had given her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was in there. On the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her- but I also read each book she is reading, too, so she can discuss them with me in detail when I am there to visit her. It has been a great bonding experience for us, and I have enjoyed revisiting Mr. Smith’s work.
A Falcon Flies is the first book in the Ballantyne Series by Wilbur Smith. it is powerful, shocking, engrossing, and dramatic. It is set in the 1860's, when the slave trade was rife. This chronicles the history of the Ballantyne family and their connections to Africa. There are conflicts of morality and passion, naval action, tension, danger... and so much more. An engrossing read!
Mr. Smith has a great knack for writing a great suspenseful and exciting read, and even though my tastes have evolved as I have gotten older, I still really enjoyed revisiting this book/series.
So if you are a history buff, love a powerful read and want a book that will hold your interest and that you can immerse yourself into- then this may be the book/series for you!
cathepsut's review against another edition
3.0
Wilbur Smith is like an old friend. I have read so many of his books, I know what to expect: Good looking, hunky heroes, wilfull and good-looking women that get what they want. Which is usually not the good-looking hero, because he is mean. But hey, in the end it turns out he is not so mean after all and they live happily ever after - starting an Empire or perhaps a gaming reserve or that diamond business... There is some adventuring going on as well. At least one of the main characters goes native at some point in the book...
Back to this book. At the end of the 19th century our main characters travel to Africa to make their fortune and search for their father, who disappeared into South-East Africa several years previously. They encounter the British Navy, slave traders, African kings, elephants, treasures, witches, buffalo, malaria, love, betrayal, loss and their destiny... To be continued in the next book... ;)
On page 3 I was already cracking up. The heroine catches a glimpse of the mean, but good-looking hero having a shower on deck of his ship:
"This was a marvelous symmetry and balance of trunk to long powerful legs, of broad shoulders to narrow waist. There was a luster to the skin, even where the sun had not gilded it. This was not an untidy tangle of masculine organs, half hidden by a bush of coarse hair, shameful and vaguely revolting. This was vibrant manhood...."
Smells like a big wedding at the end of the book to me. Or perhaps he will carry her off to his hunting lodge in the Rhodesian forest somewhere....
A nice adventure novel. Nothing too exciting. Certainly not one of Wilbur Smith's best efforts. I would still buy the next one in the series, "Men of Men", to see what will happen. But he can do better.
Unfortunately the book had a rather major hick-up: page 600 of the paperback edition published by Pan Books is followed by page 41 to 88 and then continues with page 649. Which is really annoying towards the end of the book. I missed out on the conclusion of one major storyline and missed the beginning of the final climax of another one. Shame on you people, where is your quality control?
Back to this book. At the end of the 19th century our main characters travel to Africa to make their fortune and search for their father, who disappeared into South-East Africa several years previously. They encounter the British Navy, slave traders, African kings, elephants, treasures, witches, buffalo, malaria, love, betrayal, loss and their destiny... To be continued in the next book... ;)
On page 3 I was already cracking up. The heroine catches a glimpse of the mean, but good-looking hero having a shower on deck of his ship:
"This was a marvelous symmetry and balance of trunk to long powerful legs, of broad shoulders to narrow waist. There was a luster to the skin, even where the sun had not gilded it. This was not an untidy tangle of masculine organs, half hidden by a bush of coarse hair, shameful and vaguely revolting. This was vibrant manhood...."
Smells like a big wedding at the end of the book to me. Or perhaps he will carry her off to his hunting lodge in the Rhodesian forest somewhere....
A nice adventure novel. Nothing too exciting. Certainly not one of Wilbur Smith's best efforts. I would still buy the next one in the series, "Men of Men", to see what will happen. But he can do better.
Unfortunately the book had a rather major hick-up: page 600 of the paperback edition published by Pan Books is followed by page 41 to 88 and then continues with page 649. Which is really annoying towards the end of the book. I missed out on the conclusion of one major storyline and missed the beginning of the final climax of another one. Shame on you people, where is your quality control?
beejai's review against another edition
2.0
Horrible. Instead of character development, we simply have a series of character tropes. The heroine is simply a male fantasized version of some female adventurer out of a Danielle Steele novel. Her brother reminded me of the early Sharpe of Bernard Cornwell fame (without the decent plot and excellent history to accompany him). The heroine's interests are the typical friend-zone good guy and bad boy with lots of "animal magnetism". The "David Livingstone" type character, his faithful guide, the African chief, warrior, and rescued slave girl... they all are so stereotyped and fell flat. Everyone's motivations throughout are like, "Wait... what?"
This novel felt like someone who is used to writing mindless ya thrillers (that are highly touted one week and find themselves on the clearance rack the next) tried their hand at some R rated historical fiction. Ummm... no.
This novel felt like someone who is used to writing mindless ya thrillers (that are highly touted one week and find themselves on the clearance rack the next) tried their hand at some R rated historical fiction. Ummm... no.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
In his other multi-novel series, Smith continues to use Africa as his central backdrop. The year is 1860 and slave trading remains a key form of commerce amongst Europeans and those in the Americas. After missionary Fuller Ballantyne has gone missing on the African sub-continent, his two children join a clipper out of England to find him. Robyn Ballantyne is a missionary like her father, but also has a medical background, both areas of education she wishes to bring to the African people. Her brother, Morris 'Zouga' has little interest in anything other than the riches that the land can bring him. While on their voyage, the Ballantynes learn that their captain is key in the slave trade and will stop at nothing to continue this prosperous form of economic advancement. Robyn does all she can to sway the captain, while she falls in love with him, to no avail. It is only when she encounters an ally in Clinton Codrington that she feels she could end slave trading on a small scale. Codrington finds himself falling for Dr. Ballantyne, who begins the arduous task of locating her father. As Smith forks the story, both siblings begin their own adventures searching for Fuller Ballantyne and discovering the riches that Africa has to offer them. Zouga finds himself involved in ivory hunting and gold exploration, but soon discovers a figurine that fulfils a long-held prophecy. Robyn does all she can to save those herded up for slavery and seeks to bring word of Christianity as she gets closer to Codrington. Fuller's discovery opens new pathways as Smith educates and entertains the reader in the first novel of the series. When Codrington puts his passions into action, he faces consequences, but is keen to win Robyn's heart no matter the cost. Contrasting nicely with the Courtney novels, Smith opens new literary options with this parallel series.
The differences could not be more profound between the Ballantyne and Courtney series, at least based on this opening novel. This novel does another wonderful job illustrating the wonders of Africa, from its people to the animals scattered throughout, but also tackles key issues brought about with colonization, including excessive hunting, slavery, and misunderstanding of the tribal ways of life. Smith does weave a strong social commentary into the story, sometimes bluntly offering up an opinion, but also firmly rooting his ideas in a detailed narrative. The reader should enter reading this book with both an open mind and one ready to learn, as there is much to absorb in the complex narrative. Exploring African from the eyes of settlers rather than the settled, Smith will be able to tackle a series of tales from the opposing side from those offered within the Courtney novels.
Kudos, Mr. Smith for this enlightening novel, which paves the way for what will surely be a highly entertaining series.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
The differences could not be more profound between the Ballantyne and Courtney series, at least based on this opening novel. This novel does another wonderful job illustrating the wonders of Africa, from its people to the animals scattered throughout, but also tackles key issues brought about with colonization, including excessive hunting, slavery, and misunderstanding of the tribal ways of life. Smith does weave a strong social commentary into the story, sometimes bluntly offering up an opinion, but also firmly rooting his ideas in a detailed narrative. The reader should enter reading this book with both an open mind and one ready to learn, as there is much to absorb in the complex narrative. Exploring African from the eyes of settlers rather than the settled, Smith will be able to tackle a series of tales from the opposing side from those offered within the Courtney novels.
Kudos, Mr. Smith for this enlightening novel, which paves the way for what will surely be a highly entertaining series.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
lnatal's review
4.0
Just arrived from Japan through BM.
An enjoyable reading after has read too many "serious" books.
This is the first book of the series The Ballantyne Novels describing the first Rhodesia historical facts when slavery was still taking place to North and South America. Every slave was sold by 20 dollars and these ships are able to transport thousands of them in very inhumane conditions.
A very touching moment can be described when Robyn Ballantyne find his father debilitated by the disease and being treated with affection by the local native.
The next book of this series is Men of Men.
So far, River God is the best book I've read of this author.
An enjoyable reading after has read too many "serious" books.
This is the first book of the series The Ballantyne Novels describing the first Rhodesia historical facts when slavery was still taking place to North and South America. Every slave was sold by 20 dollars and these ships are able to transport thousands of them in very inhumane conditions.
A very touching moment can be described when Robyn Ballantyne find his father debilitated by the disease and being treated with affection by the local native.
The next book of this series is Men of Men.
So far, River God is the best book I've read of this author.
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