Looks like a nice cover doesn’t it? Yes well, as we shall see, this COULD be a great series. Let’s what boxes it ticks:- Is it military? Yes. Does it have a square jawed hero? Yes plus Rawson is not bad with a sword, pistol and at the very least his fists. Does he have friends? Yes. He is faithful to his Dutch (?) woman.
Now the faults and by God they are many. Marston wants to be Bernard Cornwell so badly it hurts, but and here’s the BUT there can be only one BC. Sharpe would be the crap out of Rawson and not break sweat. The Churchill connections are done to death, but placing the background a hundred years before Waterloo is clever. This is before the 1715 rebellion in Scotland, 1746 and Culloden and the most importantly the American War of independence (the British army eventually finds out it has flaws). The battles are few and quick. There is little sex. (this is all 50 shades of Grey scenarios). Oh and having half the book in Britain is rubbish. Reivers is a awful villain (it’s not said in so many words but you suspect he is poisoning his wife.) She is ‘fading’ ??????? Why doesn’t Marston have her locked away a la Jane Eyre?
So WHY did I read it? price (three pounds) , the fact it is a part of history that was new to me (War of Spanish Succession . Scottish history has its focus on the Union of the Crowns. Wars in Europe? Not our problem).