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thewallflower00's review
1.0
Tedious. Imagine if the there were witches in the Revolutionary War, and those witches were on both sides, controlling things through subtle magic - debilitating spells, artifacts of protection, and conspiracies with leaders. This book has three parts - the Shot Heard Round the World, exile at a farm full of witches, and the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The problem is that it's filled with descriptions of the battle, through the eyes of the main character. You can tell the author is a historian with a lot of junk knowledge he/she wants to take out and demonstrate. There's a lot of people moving around, getting shot, and I don't care about anyone. I just can't work with descriptions of war battles. I need a single character moving through plots and revelations.
The other problem is that the witchcraft works when it wants to - there are no rules and no flash. It's nothing special. I was imagining witches on broomsticks flying over Lexington and Concord, shooting spells at British witches, while a battle of mortals raged on below them. But it's nothing like that. It's more like some poor schmoe finds out he's magical, has to go join some other bitchy witches, bonds with them, mentor dies, and he must go into battle and redeem himself.
The problem is that it's filled with descriptions of the battle, through the eyes of the main character. You can tell the author is a historian with a lot of junk knowledge he/she wants to take out and demonstrate. There's a lot of people moving around, getting shot, and I don't care about anyone. I just can't work with descriptions of war battles. I need a single character moving through plots and revelations.
The other problem is that the witchcraft works when it wants to - there are no rules and no flash. It's nothing special. I was imagining witches on broomsticks flying over Lexington and Concord, shooting spells at British witches, while a battle of mortals raged on below them. But it's nothing like that. It's more like some poor schmoe finds out he's magical, has to go join some other bitchy witches, bonds with them, mentor dies, and he must go into battle and redeem himself.
gmvader's review
3.0
Proctor Brown is getting married to a young Boston socialite and about to inherit his father’s large and prosperous farm. Then the Revolutionary War breaks out and Proctor, one of the minutemen, gets tossed into the middle of it. Things couldn’t be worse until he discovers that he is a witch when he encounters a British soldier wearing a charm to keep him safe.
Proctor has to learn to control his magic in the midst of war and treachery and betrayal while trying to understand which side he’s on.
I started this book with the full intention of putting it down without reading it. I didn’t know the author and had never heard anything about him. The premise of fantasy set during America’s revolution sounded like it had way too many opportunities to go south. I even determined several times that I was going to write one of my more scathing reviews.
I’ve changed my mind. It hasn’t inspired me to seek out the sequels but the ending was gripping and felt like the war torn ending of a great historical novel.
In fact the writing is solid throughout. The story is told in a concise manner that never gets tiresome or boring and the characters are likeable, if a bit idealized, and even go through mostly believable scenarios.
This is a problem I see in writing reviews. It’s hard to express in words how I feel about a book and make it clear. If I hate a book that comes through. If I love it I think that’s pretty easy to see. Anything else seems to be sort of ambiguous. I tried giving a #/10 rating for a while but found it to be too inconsistent and didn’t make much sense. After all how do you compare say The Lord of the Rings to Daniel Abraham, both of whom I really enjoyed and recommend to people all the time – but they really aren’t comparable unless you subscribe to some kind of trite statement about ‘not since Tolkien…’ etc.
So how do I say in a review that while this book was well written (at least enough that it didn’t make me wince or put it down), had an interesting set of characters, and a well executed plot it just wasn’t great?
I guess I just did.
I didn’t hate it. The worst I can say is that it was a little predictable – but really no more than most fantasy novels.
I’ve read a few professional reviews and they seem unable to say anything except blind praise for books. Not all the books I read are great. Not all of them are terrible (or I wouldn’t be reading them).
I don’t want to always say the same things about every book.
The Patriot Witch was, to me, an exercise in mediocrity. I enjoyed it but it didn’t dazzle me. It was fun at times how the actual events (surprisingly accurately) are woven into a tale of secret magic and a small coven of ‘witches’ trying to protect America without being discovered (and burned). However the story never surprises. Each plot point seems to be checks off an outline one after the other until it feels more like moving pieces through a Candyland board than playing a more free-form kind of game. I’ve read worse – much worse – by better selling and more famous authors. But it didn’t do what it was intended to do, which was to hook me into reading the rest of the series.
Proctor has to learn to control his magic in the midst of war and treachery and betrayal while trying to understand which side he’s on.
I started this book with the full intention of putting it down without reading it. I didn’t know the author and had never heard anything about him. The premise of fantasy set during America’s revolution sounded like it had way too many opportunities to go south. I even determined several times that I was going to write one of my more scathing reviews.
I’ve changed my mind. It hasn’t inspired me to seek out the sequels but the ending was gripping and felt like the war torn ending of a great historical novel.
In fact the writing is solid throughout. The story is told in a concise manner that never gets tiresome or boring and the characters are likeable, if a bit idealized, and even go through mostly believable scenarios.
This is a problem I see in writing reviews. It’s hard to express in words how I feel about a book and make it clear. If I hate a book that comes through. If I love it I think that’s pretty easy to see. Anything else seems to be sort of ambiguous. I tried giving a #/10 rating for a while but found it to be too inconsistent and didn’t make much sense. After all how do you compare say The Lord of the Rings to Daniel Abraham, both of whom I really enjoyed and recommend to people all the time – but they really aren’t comparable unless you subscribe to some kind of trite statement about ‘not since Tolkien…’ etc.
So how do I say in a review that while this book was well written (at least enough that it didn’t make me wince or put it down), had an interesting set of characters, and a well executed plot it just wasn’t great?
I guess I just did.
I didn’t hate it. The worst I can say is that it was a little predictable – but really no more than most fantasy novels.
I’ve read a few professional reviews and they seem unable to say anything except blind praise for books. Not all the books I read are great. Not all of them are terrible (or I wouldn’t be reading them).
I don’t want to always say the same things about every book.
The Patriot Witch was, to me, an exercise in mediocrity. I enjoyed it but it didn’t dazzle me. It was fun at times how the actual events (surprisingly accurately) are woven into a tale of secret magic and a small coven of ‘witches’ trying to protect America without being discovered (and burned). However the story never surprises. Each plot point seems to be checks off an outline one after the other until it feels more like moving pieces through a Candyland board than playing a more free-form kind of game. I’ve read worse – much worse – by better selling and more famous authors. But it didn’t do what it was intended to do, which was to hook me into reading the rest of the series.
abhrasach's review
3.0
This book is very well done, and I enjoyed following Proctor's story as it dipped in and out of well-known US history. Sadly, US history is generally Not My Thing, so for me personally, it wasn't as addicting as, say, the Temeraire series. However, if you're looking for a well-crafted extension of the fantastic into the Revolutionary War, check this out--it feels very much of the time and mindset of 1770s America.
achadamaia's review
5.0
What an unusual story! It takes the premise that witches really did exist and were aiding both sides during the American Revolution. It was riveting. I was sucked in right from the start.
nwhyte's review
"http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1213072.html[return][return]This is hot off the presses, having been published only last week. Our hero, Proctor Ward, is a young Bostonian caught up in the start of the War of Independence. He discovers that he has magical powers, inherited from his Salem ancestors, and gets mixed up in faction and counterfaction of the secret network of witches, supported by Quakers and other free thinkers. (The British have magic too, led by the historical John Pitcairn, whose son discovered Pitcairn Island.)[return][return]It reminded me a bit of Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker books, which also feature a magical America from a few decades later in an alternate timeline. Finlay, however, is less mystical, less didactic and basically less annoying about it; where Card is retelling the biography of Joseph Smith, Finlay is using an intense knowledge of the setting to hang his plot on. There are also perhaps faint reflections of Buffy, with the young hero discovering mystical powers and dealing with family and love-life. (One thing Proctor Ward lacks, however, is a Giles-like mentor.)[return][return]Good marks for sense of place; slightly cheeky to have the hero not only fire the first shots at Lexington but also save the day at Bunker Hill; but in general the history doesn't get in the way of the story, making it an enjoyable read."
ecath's review
4.0
It's April, 1775, the time of year when a young man's mind turns to romance, cattle, and his poor fashion options. Young Proctor Brown has many things on his mind, not the least of which is his attempted courtship of loyalist Emily Rucke. Her father is none too pleased by the pairing and Proctor means to change his mind. Matters are complicated by the fact that Proctor is a farmer, a militiaman, and a witch.
It's no easy thing being a witch in 1775 New England. It's a thing Proctor's mother has tried to keep well hidden, to the point she hasn't taught her son much about their abilities. Proctor can scry some, but often doesn't understand what he sees. He longs to get a grasp on his talents, and after a muster goes horribly wrong, he is given the opportunity to do just that. As Proctor discovers this side of himself, an entirely new world opens--just as one begins to for the country.
Proctor's adventures in Revolutionary New England are filled with all you could hope for. It is a coming of age story, it is a romance, it is a magical journey through our country's bloody history. And? Look out for the zombies. Win!
Finlay does for the Revolutionary War what Novik did for the Napoleonic with her Temeraire books; this is a rich blend of history and fantasy, that will only leave you wanting more when all is said and done. Fortunately, books two and three are coming in May and June. The wait will not be long.
It's no easy thing being a witch in 1775 New England. It's a thing Proctor's mother has tried to keep well hidden, to the point she hasn't taught her son much about their abilities. Proctor can scry some, but often doesn't understand what he sees. He longs to get a grasp on his talents, and after a muster goes horribly wrong, he is given the opportunity to do just that. As Proctor discovers this side of himself, an entirely new world opens--just as one begins to for the country.
Proctor's adventures in Revolutionary New England are filled with all you could hope for. It is a coming of age story, it is a romance, it is a magical journey through our country's bloody history. And? Look out for the zombies. Win!
Finlay does for the Revolutionary War what Novik did for the Napoleonic with her Temeraire books; this is a rich blend of history and fantasy, that will only leave you wanting more when all is said and done. Fortunately, books two and three are coming in May and June. The wait will not be long.
krisrid's review
5.0
This is an unusual book about witches, in that the main character is a male witch - something you don't usually see in "paranormal" books. And when there is a male witch character he's often cast as a bad guy.
In this case the protagonist, Proctor Brown is a decidely GOOD witch, although he doesn't really know much about his talents, or how to use them, because his Mother, from whom his talents come doesn't want him to use them so won't teach him anything.
To complicate matters further, Proctor is a colonist in the brand new America, who's militia is fighting the Redcoats for their autonomy from the King.
This book is a great combination of paranormal, historical fiction, and history. It has well-written, likeable good characters, and nasty bad characters that you can boo with abandon. The story is very exciting and moves along a a great pace, carrying you along ruthlessly to the end to find out what happens.
I like the character of Proctor very much, and intend to pick up the next two books in this series - A Spell for the Revolution, and The Demon Recoat - for sure.
I highly recommend this book. It's a great read!
In this case the protagonist, Proctor Brown is a decidely GOOD witch, although he doesn't really know much about his talents, or how to use them, because his Mother, from whom his talents come doesn't want him to use them so won't teach him anything.
To complicate matters further, Proctor is a colonist in the brand new America, who's militia is fighting the Redcoats for their autonomy from the King.
This book is a great combination of paranormal, historical fiction, and history. It has well-written, likeable good characters, and nasty bad characters that you can boo with abandon. The story is very exciting and moves along a a great pace, carrying you along ruthlessly to the end to find out what happens.
I like the character of Proctor very much, and intend to pick up the next two books in this series - A Spell for the Revolution, and The Demon Recoat - for sure.
I highly recommend this book. It's a great read!
middlekmissie's review
4.0
In Which The Witch is Male: http://thebookfix.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/magic-minutemen/
celebrin's review
1.0
I tried, really really I did. I got about 75 pages in and it just didn't catch me.
Life's too short to finish books that don't catch you.
Life's too short to finish books that don't catch you.
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