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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(4.5) Excellent, a must for MM Kaye fans,
By
This review is from: Beyond All Frontiers (Hardcover)
"Our sepoys are trained to behave like English soldiers, but the blood of India runs through their veins, and the history of past centuries shapes their actions when feelings run high. Fools forget that."Yes, they do. Charlotte Scott is summoned to join her parents in India with the express purpose of putting her on the marriage market. A bit on the mousey side, Charlotte is very different from her mother (a renowned beauty and socialite), and has been over educated by the spinster aunt who raised her - she would rather talk politics with her father and volunteer at the soldier's hospital than wear pretty dresses and go to balls. Surprisingly, Charlotte's intelligence and spirit capture the attention of the most wanted bachelor in India, Richard Lingarde, but she's still mooning over adventurer Colley Dupres - although he carries a secret that shatters her comfortable world and sends her running for the safety of Richard's arms. "...but the lowly peasant who drives the camels and cuts grass for the horses has no such sworn bond. He does it in order to live. When his livelihood is threatened is he a traitor to wish to join his own countrymen?" Uncomfortable with the tensions between the Brits and the natives, Richard had hoped to resign his commission and return home, but his courtship of Charlotte delayed him long enough that he's forced to stay with his outfit as they march north to install a ruler in Afghanistan sympathetic to the East India Company - although the Afghans are perfectly happy with the ruler they have. The women travel part of the way with them and on the way something very very bad happens that shatters Richard's illusions and set him on a dark path of self-destruction. Despite being most definitely not wanted by her husband (no spoilers, that's on the jacket), Charlotte joins the other wives when Kabul is deemed safe for women and children by the idiots officials in charge, although Afghanistan is still seething with treachery and revolt. I absolutely loved this book and frankly couldn't put it down (glad I had a rainy Saturday without much else to do). Drummond does a good job showing us the social mores and customs of 19C British society, as well as the Afghan *situation* - the retreat from Kabul through the Khyber pass in the full grip of winter was terrifying and will have you on pins and needles until the very end. Highly recommended for those who can't get enough of India and the British Raj, and there are more Emma Drummond books in my immediate reading future. 4.5/5 stars.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Shallow characterization, just not that well-written,
This review is from: Beyond All Frontiers (Paperback)
I enjoy historical fiction. When I saw this book recommended and compared to M.M. Kaye's writings--I enjoyed The Far Pavilions--I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the only similarity is in the fact that this book is in a similarly exotic setting. The writing quality of Beyond All Frontiers falls far short in the comparison.The main problem is that, while the characterization of the hero is quite good, that of the heroine is very poor. Two-thirds of the book is written from Charlotte's perspective, and yet her character and actions are largely unbelievable. Over the course of the book, there are a couple times where she begins to behave in a totally different way, and it's never believable. The author has a tendency to tell, and not show, to say that Charlotte had come to feel such and such without us ever seeing any actions or dialogue or inner monologue showing the process of that change. We find her all of a sudden loving someone quite unworthy, in a way that seems inconsistent with her established character. Charlotte just never felt like a real person. The plot was relatively melodramatic, even considering that the story takes place in dramatic times. However, that can be said of many books that are well-written such as Gone with the Wind, 75th Anniversary Edition or the previously mentioned The Far Pavilions. Good writing and believable characters can make me excuse a bit of melodrama. The author's descriptions of events and places were at times quite good. As stated before, the hero's characterization was quite good. Unfortunately, the author was unable to handle the main character, Charlotte, and bring her to life in a believable way. That ruined the potential this book had.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond All Frontiers is a MUST READ,
By A Customer
This review is from: Beyond All Frontiers (Paperback)
This book is a detailed account of the lives of many British soldiers while the British East India Company was in existence. It includes the conflict with Russia and other countries. I liked this book because of its twists and turns. It leaves you hanging and wondering what is going to happen next.
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