Rating:  Summary: Dissapointing Review: 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.
Rating:  Summary: Don't Read This First-- it's the 11th and Last in a Series! Review: 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....
Rating:  Summary: Don't Read This First-- it's the 11th and Last in a Series! Review: 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....
Rating:  Summary: Don't Read This First-- it's the 11th and Last in a Series! Review: 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....
Rating:  Summary: Not like Smith Review: 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.
Rating:  Summary: all of wilber smith's books are excellent Review: you do not need to read the whole series to enjoy this book! I love reading all of the history of this family
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