Customer Reviews

Golden Fox

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's also the least of the series-- all others I've read warrant at least 4 stars, and some 5. "The Courtneys of Africa" series is as follows: Birds of Prey, Monsoon, Blue Horizon, When The Lion Feeds, A Sound of Thunder, A Sparrow Falls, The Burning Shore, Power of the Sword, Rage, A Time to Die-- and THEN Golden Fox. So you'd be unwise to start here; I'd even say you could dispense with it altogether, as it's a weak ending to the story. But it ties up some loose ends of the 20th century version of the clan-- Centaine, born with the century, and her son Shasa, and his four children, Sean, Garry, Isabella, and Michael. The story runs from 1969 to the late 70s, and is rife with minor anachronisms-- Smith wrote this in the early nineties and forgot that kids didn't have videos to pop in and watch back then, etc. The plot is turgid romance and espionage, and the weakest book I've found from Smith-- start anywhere else but here. "Birds of Prey" is a solid adventure story, and will serve as an entree to the Courtneys, if you've a mind to get to know them....

I agree with many of the comments already made. This is an exciting, readable book but the central premise is flawed. Given how close Bella is to her family and how unrebellious she appears, it seemed totally out of character for her to betray her country and family in this way. Also I found the rescue far-fetched. Smith has written many better books (personally I prefer his non-Courtney books anyway) but I think if you like action and family drama this will still prove difficult to put down.

This book is nothing like Wilburth Smith.
The story has no secuence with his previous work on the Courtney series.
Compared with the masterly way in wich Smith weaves history and fiction in the Power of the Sword (giving a clear picture of South Africa during WW2 and the Apartheid}, or the narrative power of Burning Shore this books is a complete nothingness.
So don't judge Smith by this, his least fortunate book.

I really like all the Wilbur smiths books i have read except the 7th scroll. And even that was much more readable than this. Wilbur Smith writes yarns so I am not looking for a plausible storyline but this just reeks of a childish romance novel. the first 100-150 pages of this novel are so unremarkable that I had completely forgoten I had read this book before untl the entrance of the inimitable character of Centaine. Sasha just seems a shadow of his former self. As someone who likes this author(River God, Warlock, Monsoon, Birds of Prey, The Delta Decision, Rage are all incredible books), I would like to advise new readers, please dont form opinions based on this. Everyone is entitiled to a bad book.

I am a huge Wilbur Smith fan. "River God" is the best novel I have ever read. My second favorite Smith book is his newest: "Monsoon", then "Men of Men", then "The Sunbird", then "Golden Fox". This is part of the Courtney series. If you have read all the Wilbur Smith books like I have, you'll yearn for more, but it takes him years to come up with a new book these days. You might look at "Churchill's Gold" by James Follett after you have read all of Mr. Smith's books. It is very similar in style and quality to "Golden Fox".

After enjoying the saga of the Courtneys, I found Golden Fox to be entirely out of character. It had all the appeal, and sadly the dialogue and story line of a poor romance novel. Frankly I couldn't finish it, preferring to leave the Courtneys as they were after A Time To Die. An extremely poor finish to a good series.

A KGB officer, born in Spain but educated in Cuba, sets up a South African woman to become her spy against her will. The tool he uses is against all human decency....

Once again Wilbut Smith has written an excellent novel. The plot keeps the reader hooked until the very end and you can never guess what the outcome will be. The characters are incredibly real. The writing is excellent and the description of every scene makes you feel as if you were present in the room!

This is a very good novel and a very entertaining read!

All of his books are as good as this one. They are all fill of adventure, romance and every other subject you can think of. All of his books are number 1's. Read them! I recommend reading "The River God" and "The Seventh Scroll" after you have read this one. Very deep reading!!! Good on ya Wilber!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have given ya 10 stars if it were possable.

I am a big fan of Wilbur Smith, but this book is not good. Slow, tiring to read. The first half, if you can get throught it, will almost make you change authors!

I have read through this book of the Courtneys of Africa series wondering just how low these despicable characters could go and surely this book is where they bottom out... I hope. Smith's yarns are spun in ways that make them difficult to put down for the excitement, predictable as it is, but after a while you start looking for something beyond his penchant for describing them in terms of sexual exploits (each and all like something right out of a porn masterpiece: those "books, movies, and other people's" lives kind of experiences); making shady, self-centered business dealings no matter who becomes flattened roadkill in the process; and carrying the whole thing on the back of the most despicable character of the bunch (Centaine the Ruthless), always lurking in the background eying her own family no differently than she would any potential competitor in terms of how manipulative she is willing to be to affect their activities.

If only I didn't think Smith truly liked these people, in the manner Tom Clancy fancies himself the real Jack Ryan. There is just no counterpoint to convince me he isn't enthralled with them. For example, his treatment of racism isn't much different that a mud-puddle-deep person proclaiming some of his or her best friends are black, gay, Jewish, Martians, or whathaveyou.

Oh, yes, the low point? The liberal, gay Courtney, now out of the closet, and sleeping with under-age black boys while pretending to be their friend and savior! Unfortunately, we cannot buy first-class tickets for the lot of them to sail on the Titanic. So far, each chronological book in the series has been somewhat less than its predecessor (not a great sign since I have the next three in queue). If they don't improve (or these Courtneys don't get their comeuppance), damn the Egyptians!