In the Rogue Blood

Rating:
Summary: The Horror...
Review: All of this tragedy never could happen to so few people, but in the 'good old days' it happened all the time, which makes this Blake opus so plausible. It has some scary parts and some of it will make you scream inside if not aloud. The rough part of town ain't like it used to be...

Rating:
Summary: the most violent book in american literature
Review: blake has a sincere and vivid imagery, with empathy as portrayed by his characters. the portrayal of what real violence is, has to win Blake some kind of award. his characters are real, and they react as normal men (and women) would react under similar circumstances,anger, loss of a sibling, or, just trying to survive in this world of the 1840's. in the author's heart, there is a certain compassion, as seen in real men under real and violent circumstances---and the acceptance of one's fate.
cormack mccarthy sees the forest of violence, blake sees the leaves in the forest--a destiny to which the main characters are condemned. i wonder what war blake served in, or does he see true visions as his namesake the artist and poet (edward blake) saw violence in his poetry and art. Blake sure knows how to describe violence with reality. this book will stir your emotions.
stan sanders, m.d.

Rating:
Summary: In the Rogue Blood
Review: Blake is a wonderful stylist. His vivid imagery and stark, eloquent language breathe life into this book and make it outstanding. Readers who enjoy Cormac McCarthy's books will find this to be similar in many of its good qualities.

In the Rogue Blood is the story of two brothers in the 1840's. They travel West and get mixed up in the Mexican War; one ends up fighting for Mexico in the San Patricios, while the other joins a band of Mexican scouts fighting for the United States. The end, as one might expect from Blake, is not a happy one.

It's a tribute to Blake's writing that I was able to enjoy the book despite his characters. They're walking lizard brains, constantly sleeping with whores and getting in pointless fights. However period they may be, they're not very interesting people. The plot bogs down in the middle, when the characters seem to be meaninglessly repeating their brutal behavior ad nauseam, but picks up when they become involved in the war. Female characters here exist primarily for the use of men, though one could argue that part of the tragedy of John and Edward is that they are never capable of comprehending their wild mother and sister.

Much of 1840's America as presented by Blake seems accurate to me, though his version is certainly a very bleak one, sometimes melodramatically so. This is an ugly West, full of cruelty and deformity, with malice towards all, and sometimes the sheer ugliness of everything taxed my suspension of disbelief.

Nevertheless, this is a powerful tragedy and a brilliantly styled book, which I strongly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: A wannabe McCarthy
Review: Blake is not a bad writer but Cormac McCarthy is magnificent. It is completely obvious that Blake has read and somewhat modeled this book after McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Blood Meridian is a feverish nightmare filled with mind-numbing violence. Blood Meridian is men as roaming wolves killing all that brings them profit, making us wonder about man's true nature nature - beast or not?, is war holy? Blood Meridian has no sentimentality. Blood Meridian messed with my head and even made me get rid of a gun I had. Blood Meridian is almost biblical in its style and themes. Blood Meridian is a work of art(as all books are), and a freaking masterpiece (a word I don't use lightly). McCarthy will be regarded as a writer in the company of Faulkner and Hemingway one day by the general public as he is now regarded by many of his fans, including me.

So. That Blake ripped a master work irked me. Is it a bad book? Nope. I kind of liked it but it is a simple adventure tale with a lot of blood, sex and violence. If you like that sort of thing, buy it, read it. But if you have money for only one book, buy Blood Meridian.

Rating:
Summary: Literally the Wild, Wild West
Review: Except maybe Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" there is no other book I can think of that compares with Blake's noir, hardcore, historically-based vision of the 1840s west. He is a natural storyteller who loves spinning the hard-hitting tale, occasionally at the expense of finer language (which he is perfectly capable of crafting when he chooses to do so). A harrowing depiction of wild souls and the decisions they make (or don't make) and the consequences of their actions.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but loose.
Review: I liked this book, but the plot seemed too loose to hold integrity.
The dark mood was captured well for the most part. I bought this after reading much of Cormac McCarthy, esp. Blood Meridian, but James Blake doesn't come close to that type of imagery and depth.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: I'm a huge fan of Blakes writing. I tried Cormack McCarthy, but couldn't get into it. Blake's style may be easy reading, but the vivid imagery he creates while you read is priceless to me. Who couldn't enjoy this amazing story of family and adventure. Individual lifes swirl with mystery and suspense as they weave amongst others. I recommend all of Blakes books to anyone who enjoys a great action novel with fantastic characters that are hard to forget and easy to empathise with. Far from a fairy tale writer, Blake is an extrordinary author who deserves recognition. Don't browse over this title, you'll really be missing out.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: I'm a huge fan of Blakes writing. I tried Cormack McCarthy, but couldn't get into it. Blake's style may be easy reading, but the vivid imagery he creates while you read is priceless to me. Who couldn't enjoy this amazing story of family and adventure. Individual lifes swirl with mystery and suspense as they weave amongst others. I recommend all of Blakes books to anyone who enjoys a great action novel with fantastic characters that are hard to forget and easy to empathise with. Far from a fairy tale writer, Blake is an extrordinary author who deserves recognition. Don't browse over this title, you'll really be missing out.

Rating:
Summary: The blood of rogues is destined to be shed.
Review: In the Rogue Blood is the story of two brothers in pre-Civil War America,1838-1850, who were raised in the Flordia swamps. They also have a sister who they are both attracted to. Their mother and father are both criminal grifter types. Their father is a man killing fugitive and their mother was a prositute at the age of 12, but not because she was forced into it, only because she liked it. The story of how their mother and father met is an illustration and demonstration of the dysfunctional family structure in which these two brothers grew up, but I will not give it away in this review because it would reveal too much of the story. Suffice to say that their mother and father met in bizzare and unhealthy circumstances and that the two boy's father did not know about his new wife's past sexual activities as a prostitute when he married her. Their mother and father despise each other and the boys grow up in this atmosphere of poisonous mutual hatred. Eventually they are forced to flee Flordia because the law is after them and they run to New Orleans. Their father is dead, I wont say how or why, and their mother and sister are gone to god knows where. This turn of events depresses the brothers much less than one might imagine and they continue on their directionless journey and get into more trouble. They get split up in New Orleans and in order to escape the law one brother, John, joins the U.S. Army, which is on its way to Texas and Mexico to fight the Mexican War. The other brother, Edward, continues to wander on his own and joins up with a band of Indian hunters who kill any Indian they can find, women, children, etc., and scalp them. An Indian scalp can be sold to the U.S. government because the U.S. government wishes to get rid of the Indian population. Edward and John eventually end up on different sides of the Mexican War for different reasons that have nothing to do with ideology or morality but only circumstantual conveince. So many people die in this book it is unbeliviable, maybe Blake's most violent but I have yet to read "The Friends of Poncho Villa". This book exiciting and fast paced and honest about American History.

Rating:
Summary: All plot.
Review: This is another great triumph for the master James Carlos Blake. Whoevr wrote the synopses for this book was (were?) confused. John and Ed aren't twins, and they diidn't head West to avenge their sister's death. What book were they reading? Anyway, the book is so good it almost defies description, especially the parts about Dixie City and the travels across the country. Violence? It's overwhelming, but Blake makes it work. You may find yourself gasping out loud at times. A++.