Customer Reviews

Masters and Savages

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Masters and Savages is a novel that will grab you by the throat and not let go. Set in the period immediately following the Civil War, the drama plays out aboard the clipper ship Isabel which is loaded with a cargo of contracted laborers from Angola destined for new colonies of American emigrants settling in Brazil. The excitement begins as the vessel runs a blockade of British war ships, and the action escalates as conflict, disease, and Mother Nature mark the transit across the Atlantic. Characters reminiscent of those created by Herman Melville or Jack London violently confront each other and their predicament. The tale is told by a former Confederate officer, Whitfield Stone, son of one of the leaders of the settlement colonies. Obsessed with protecting an 11 year-old girl suffering from Ophthalmia, Whitfield plays a crucial role in the conflict between his former commanding officer and the ship's captain. As events unfold, Whitfield recalls episodes from his earlier years as a soldier and citizen of his beloved Virginia. Dawsey, a recognized author and scholar of religious studies, has created a gripping account, and along the way he weaves into the narrative fundamental questions about survival, sacrifice, and redemption. As one might expect of a story about people dealing with very harsh circumstances, the narrative is not for the faint of heart. Violence and suffering are very much in evidence, but in no way is their presence gratuitous. Nor do they mask the nobler virtues of love, kindness, and loyalty also on display. In summary, first-time author Dawsey has done a superb job of characterization and storytelling. The book is highly recommended.

I read a lot of historical novels, I am a history buff. This book, Master & Savages failed to gain my interest. It remains in my Kindle library only partly read. There is just something about the writing style that is not very appealing, it is slow and uneven almost as if the writer is unsure what to do or add next. I will go back to it at so point and see if it improves.

Starts slow, but finishes with a bang! A real bang!!!

Worthy of the bet seafaring/pirate/mutiny stories ever told.

Though names, locations and tribes are hard to follow at first, once Whitfield's secret is revealed (about half way through), its one helluva story. It sizzles from midpoint on.

As in golf, it's not how you drive, it's how you arrive, and this book, in its ending, arrives very, very well.

And some good theology in here, too, though not overly done. Who are we, and what do we really beleive, what do we really stand for, those kind of universal questions. Whitfield finds out in the course of this book, and it's fun and enticing to learn along with him.

This is an excellent piece of historical fiction featuring the transportation of contract laborers from Africa to Brazil during a post-Civil War setting. I am not particularly interested in the Civil War time period or in naval travel, yet this book held my interest throughout. Through the use of flashbacks, Masters and Savages creates a context that is larger than the events occurring on the boat, which show the motives of Witfield, the main character, and others. The novel builds to an action-packed climax that actually had my adrenaline rushing. I hope that Dr. Dawsey writes more fiction in the future, because he has real talent.

I could not put the book down. A wonderful adventure story. Dawsey's style of writing is superb, and the words just seem to flow. He explores a South that you don't read much about in history books, but is a true South of honor and decay, guilt and redemption. I was surprised by the ending, and you will be too. The book is a real keeper.

Whenever I talk about this book, it's hard not to make it sound like I am a historical fiction junkie. I love and defend historical fiction, but I am not limited to the genre. Neither, I think, is this magnificent book. All great books, regardless of the genre, say something truly profound about the human condition.

"Masters and Savages" not only manages to have a strong message, but it is also a joy to read. The plot is enthralling, the characters are complex and realistic, and the descriptions of the ship fill your head with fantastic images that make you wish you could spend time on the high seas. The subplot involving the honorable Captain Steagall and the sultry Luciana is superb. Author James Dawsey connects readers to the feelings and situations his characters have to endure as well as any author I've read.

Not only will you not be able to put the book down, you won't be able to read this book just once. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Rest assured I will be on anxious lookout for future novels from Dawsey!