The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Warramunga's Aftermath of War

Lorraine De Vos

I would not have chosen to sample this book. I am not a fan of war stories and did not think this is something I would enjoy. After reading the first ten pages I very quickly changed my mind. This book covers the very important topic of human trafficking and child sex slavery. The author writes about these explicit subjects without actually being too explicit, making this book the perfect tool to educate our younger generation on these very scary, but very real subjects. The book does appear to be professionally edited, as I did not notice any errors. The official OnlineBookClub review was good and served as a confirmation that I would enjoy reading this book.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 4:57 am by Lorraine De Vos.

Ekta Kumari

I wouldn't have read the book as it didn't sound like something I would enjoy reading. I have not read the first book in the series, so this second Installment was not something I was looking forward to. However, I like the build-up to the main subject in this book, and I also like that the author provides a brief description of the relationship between Jamie and Jacko and their connection with the CIS (Commonwealth Investigation Service). This would aid the readers who are not acquainted with the series. I didn't find any error in the portion I sampled and would say that the book is professionally edited. I wouldn't be reading it any further as I didn't enjoy the sample very much and I think I should check out the first book before trying this one, just for better context and understanding of the main characters. Those interested in this book can check out its official review.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 4:54 am by Ekta Kumari.

Alice Heritage

I've seen a few OBC reviews of this and above all of the book that precedes it in the series - enough to know that this is about the aftermath of World War II. As my reading preference doesn't normally run to this kind of historical fiction, I wouldn't have sampled it without the programme. I also won't buy and read it today on the basis of the sample, for the same reason and because I haven't read the first book. The book does seem to have been professionally edited as I did not notice any errors. I liked the story's Australian flavour, including expressions like "fair dinkum". The way everyone is introduced by their nickname, Jason "Jazz" Nicholls and so on, also represents a pleasing touch. In terms of what could be improved, it seemed odd that Jamie was reflecting on the eventful nature of Christmas in Darwin when dealing with challenging conditions at sea. I wondered if the book could have begun with the scene of them at dinner then receiving the emergency call; the showing might have been more effective than the telling, here.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 4:46 am by Alice Heritage.

Nisha Ward

Mr. Kater continues to impress with the sequel to The Warramunga's War. I'd already had every intention of reading this after having read the first one and that hasn't changed. Still well-edited and evenly paced, I loved the tension that built up during the search of the ship before Manuel's discovery. It's definitely a book worth buying and one that I intend to read.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 4:43 am by Nisha Ward.

Sonya Nicolaidis

The cover and title of this book are not immediately appealing, but I was quite familiar with this title as the prequel has been highlighted of late on the OBC a couple of times. Blue and green are not colors that contrast very well, so the readability of the title wasn’t great as a first impression. The OBC review was good, however, and spoke highly of this story. I enjoyed the sample and liked how the pace was set early on, launching directly into the main theme with very little preamble. I also appreciated the brief background to the way the two main characters met, which occurred in the first book. There isn’t anything I didn’t like in this sample and I was pleased to not have seen any errors in grammar and punctuation at all, pointing to a thorough edit. My first impression of this book was quite ambivalent, however having read the sample and experienced the excellent writing style of this author, I feel that I would like to read this one. If I were to suggest anything to improve it, it would have to be a redesign of the cover for greater impact. Great BOTD, with thanks.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 4:21 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.

Gravy

As I had previously chosen not to read the first book (mostly due to it not being to my taste), I would not have sampled this. The sample did not change my mind, about either book.
I did not notice any errors. The story is interesting, despite not being to my liking. I found the situation of them finding the body, and then finding Manuel, to be a great set-up. If this were more to my taste, I would probably be hooked.
As for what I didn't like, I am not a big fan of this series' covers. They fit, there's no question of that, but they tend toward being bland and wouldn't really catch my eye.
There was a review for this book, but that has no bearing on my opinion. I will not be reading this due to the series as a whole not appealing to me.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 3:09 am by Gravy.

Dolor

At first, without The First Ten program, I have not decided whether to read the entire story or not. The blurb and the official OBC review had not piqued my interest. The cover and the title do not seem catchy for me. The first ten pages talked about the event in 1945. Jaime, Jacko, and Jason were on a vessel in the wild seas. Jason ‘Jazz’ Nicholls was the skipper of the cutter. Jaime and Jacko had met on the battlefield during the World War II Syrian campaign, having both been involved in counter-espionage activities with MI6 during the desert war in North Africa and later with intelligence units during the Pacific war. Here are the errors I noticed:
*lacking necessary comma (,)*
The wet season had set in with a vengeance and Jamie had been looking forward to a relatively uneventful day with a hot lunch in the Green Room at the hotel, where he and Jacko also lived and had their headquarters.

 I’m bloody wet and I’m goin’ home.

*typo error*
 for’ard

The story did not take off, so I decided to bypass reading this book. I suggest making the first ten pages a gripping read. The Warramunga's Aftermath of War by Greg Kater is a #HistoricalFiction that revolves around the #Goal of Jamie and Jacko to shut down a child-smuggling ring led by wealthy pedophiles in the Philippines and the Australian outback. It is the sequel to The Warramunga’s War. It is book two of Warramunga Trilogy.

First Ten review added on July 7, 2019, at 1:21 am by Dolor.

CrescentMoon

After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because I'm not really into war books and because this is the second in a trilogy, I feel like I would be lost if I don't read the first one. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any major spelling or grammar errors. I appreciated the brief summary of the characters and what the different counterintelligence office agencies do and what they are involved in. Since I didn't read the first book, it helps to know a little more about the background of Jamie and Jacko and how they head the CIS and how they met. I also like the detailed imagery. I can easily picture the dark, stormy sky and the feel the winds rushing by the ship that Jamie is on. I think this is well-written so far and for those interested in this genre and historical fiction and war stories I'm sure would like this book. I'm just not the target audience for this so I won't be reading the rest.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 11:41 pm by CrescentMoon.

OliviaLouise

Based on the review, I was disinclined to read this book in full because I understood the book to be about two agents recovering a child victim of a sex-trafficking ring, which I did not feel altogether comfortable with. After reading the sample, I must say that Greg Kater does a fantastic job of creating a visual setting. As he describes the activity on the boat and the weather in Chapter 1, I felt like I was on board the boat with Jacko and Jamie! I really appreciate whenever an author can create a believable setting. One thing I did not enjoy so much about the book was the extensive jargon and references used by the author. Within the ten pages I read, there were so many war, government, and boat terms that I could not keep up. Stopping to look up each of these terms (M16, OSS, and cutter, for example) took me out of the story. I did not find any errors, which leads me to believe that this book was professionally edited. Although this book seems interesting and would be enjoyable for readers of this genre, I still do not intend to read the remainder of the book due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 11:02 pm by OliviaLouise.

Tamorie Hargro

I think the cover of the book is appealing and would be something that I'd possibly read based solely on presentation, and after reading the first ten pages of the book, I believe I will go ahead and read the entire book. The start of the book was very entertaining, the characters were already well-described and likable, and the story's action was interesting and mysterious. I appreciate the quality of the cliffhanger that I was left on at Chapter 1. As I read the sample, I didn't notice any grammatical or other errors, so, the book appears to be professionally edited. Finally, I enjoyed the first chapter's cliffhanger and the clever cues that something was amiss that led up to it. It made me want to read more to figure out what exactly was going on. Reading a review of the book on OBC, which was very positive, after having already read this sample, reinforced my desire to read the whole book. So far, I can't say what could be improved upon within the book.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 10:26 pm by Tamorie Hargro.

AA1495

Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. However, the color combination of the cover (specially the use of green and white on the top half) caught my attention. Having read the sample, I was a little disappointed by the lack of a proper introduction. The cover was followed by an index and a small dedication section, after which the actual content began. I would have liked an introduction to the author and some positive reviews of the book. Further, the index consisted of only chapter numbers and had no chapter names. I would have preferred chapter names, which would allow me to get an idea of the overall structure and content of the book. However, I thought that the author introduced Jamie’s character well. In terms of editing and formatting, I felt like the sentences were rather long and should have been broken down into smaller ones. Further, I would have liked more spacing between paragraphs to make the book easier to read. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be buying the book today.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 10:24 pm by AA1495.

danielleamy

The cover looked a little old-fashioned to me. I'm not a massive fan of the colour of the title/author name over the green wave background. The Official review for this made me reconsider reading this. According to the cover, I did not think I would be interested. I also do not believe I would have sampled this book without the First Ten programme. I could not see any typos or errors in my sample, so this looks well edited! I just wasn't sure what the following sentence meant in Chapter 1: "They were greeted by the cutter's for'ard hand who had leapt aboard earlier." I would prefer to read the first book before this one in the trilogy, therefore I will not be buying and reading this today. There was nothing that I disliked about the sample, I would only prefer to read them in order.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 7:22 pm by danielleamy.

Emy Katherine

The story follows two Australian ex-soldiers, Jamie and Jacko, who move to the Philippines to stop a criminal organization from abducting young children. As I enjoy reading historical fiction novels, I would have read the book based on the genre, title, and blurb. My interest in this story increased after reading both the sample and the OBC review. What I liked most was the fast-paced, engaging writing style; it made the sample more enjoyable to read. The characters were intriguing, and the dialogues were realistic and humorous. Also, the book has great Amazon ratings; those who enjoy reading fast-paced stories filled with mystery, action, romance, and humor should give this book a try. Additionally, as I did not find any typos or grammatical errors, I believe this book was professionally edited.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 4:39 pm by Emy Katherine.

Aubrey Lewis

When looking at the cover as well as the title, I admit that I wasn't appealed by them. The genre also put me off, mainly because I'm not very fond of reading historical fiction. However, I noticed that the customer reviews were very good, so I tried reading the first ten pages.
When I finished, my opinion has not changed. Since this book is not my preferred genre and the storyline is not to my taste, I don't think I will buy this book. However, I think that readers who like this kind of plot will definitely enjoy it, especially because the book seems professionally edited. On a side note, I did like that there was a Filipino child in the beginning; I am from the Philippines, so I understood the language he was using.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 10:40 am by Aubrey Lewis.

Jsovermyer

The cover is interesting and made me take a second look. Since I haven't read the first book in this series, I don't know the meaning of "Warramunga" in the title. During World War II, two Australians fight to stop a child-smuggling ring. This is an exciting and important story. I liked the scene where Jamie and Jacko find the little boy, Manuel, hidden in the boat's bow and try to talk to him using all of the languages they know. I was amused and pleased by the expression "tucking in" to describe Manuel's hearty appetite. The official review rated this story highly, and I agree that it is an exciting story. I didn't find any spelling or grammatical errors, although there were some intentional misspellings to mimic the characters speech. I believe that this book has been professionally edited. I don't usually read war or spy novels, and this book seems to be in that genre. So I will not be finishing this one. Maybe I'll try it again at a later time.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 10:24 am by Jsovermyer.

Mercelle

Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review urged me on when it mentioned that the author delves into the effects of war, especially a child trafficking ring that takes advantage of poor civilians. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that Jamie and Jacko tried their best to communicate with the boy, although they didn't speak the same language. Since I noticed no errors, I will conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read,

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 6:05 am by Mercelle.

Hiruni Bhagya 81

Since I read the first book of this series and found it to my liking, I would have been interested in this book even before reading the sample. After sampling it, I was curious to learn more about the smuggling ring and whether the protagonists will succeed in their endeavours. Also, the knowledge that Jacko's relationship from the previous book continues in this book makes me more interested in it. What I like most about this book is how it differs from a typical WW story. Like in its prequel, the author's focus is on the colonies of the participant countries of World Wars. I didn't notice any errors and don't think there's anything that needs improving. But, if this book is more like its prequel, then it would need a glossary to help readers understand terms of different languages.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 5:54 am by Hiruni Bhagya 81.

Mai Tran

I wouldn’t have checked out this book because the topic of child sexual abuse is too upsetting for me. The book seems well-edited, but it focuses too much on tedious details. It’s quite unnecessary to explain where Jacko learned Spanish. Regarding the plot, it’s just too convenient that Jazz’s wife knows a Filipino translator who knows just how to calm a frighten and confused child. It also doesn’t make sense why they didn’t interview the adults on the boat first. I don’t think I’ll continue reading this book as nothing about it appeal to me.

First Ten review added on July 6, 2019, at 2:02 am by Mai Tran.

srividyag1

Since the first book of this trilogy was BOTM, I had an idea what this book is about. I had read the review a while ago, so I knew what to expect from this book. I'm of the opinion that the cover of this book as well as the first book could be improved. In the sample, we see Jamie and Jacko finding a boat in distress. They find a child's deadbody afloat in the sea. Then they save two men and a child from the boat. They find that the child is a Filipino. They decide to enlist the help of a lady to translate the child's words. The book seems professionally edited. Since I'm not interested by the premise of this book and since I have not read the first book of the trilogy, I am not going to read this book.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 10:17 pm by srividyag1.

HRichards

I normally wouldn't have picked this book up since I've read the first book in this series and wasn't really impressed with it. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since it didn't really interest me. The sample deals with Jacko, Jamie, and Jazz on a ship. They come across a drowned child and a group of Asians that seem to have had sailing issues but the situation seems strange to the other men. The writing is pretty good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who like historical fiction might like this book. I wasn't really interested in continuing with the series. I have not read any other reviews of this book.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 8:55 pm by HRichards.

Washboard

The cover and genre would not have made me pick up the book, since war novels are usually too heavy for me. The review I read made it sound more interesting, saying it was from a perspective other than USA/European, which caught my attention as unique. I enjoyed the writing style and the obvious friendship between two of the protagonists, Jamie and Jacko. The only errors I noticed were the consistent incorrect use of single quotation marks for dialogue instead of the double quotation mark (' vs. "). I am not going to continue reading the book based on the content discussed in the review is a topic I think is too heavy for me (sex trafficking of children).

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 8:43 pm by Washboard.

unamilagra

Before sampling this book, I would not have picked it up because it is the second book in a series in which I haven't read the first book. I found the topic confusing and many sentences to be too long. I also felt like the crew finding the dead boy in the water lacked the appropriate emotion something like that should include. I don't plan to continue this book. I didn't notice any errors in the section I read.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 7:38 pm by unamilagra.

sarahmarlowe randomeducator

The cover has an intriguing historical picture, but it looks odd mixed with the other art. It makes the cover look unprofessional, and I wouldn't have picked it up. The sample was well written with vivid descriptions and a fast-moving plot. I thought it was funny that the author brought in another character with a cool nickname, Jazzy. And, the author also includes more language texture through conversations with the little boy. I enjoy reading dialogue with accents, and Kater is good at writing it. The beginning of the book sets up a good plot. There is a lot of mystery around the children and the men on the boat. I have not read an OBC review of this book, and I found no errors. I won't be reading this one because it's not a genre that interests me.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 7:24 pm by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.

Kajori Sheryl Paul

'The Warramunga's Aftermath of War' is a book written by Greg Kater. The title, blurb, and cover did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.

The first ten pages leads me to believe that it is set during the post World War II era. Jaime and Jacko now head the CIS in Darwin. While on the harbour pilot's cutter, they get a distress call from a boat. Once there, they find the dead body of a child along with a few survivors. I like how human trafficking is addressed in this book. I did not find any error. I consider it to be professionally edited. I will give this book a skip as I am not in the mind-frame to read a book of this genre as of now.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 4:44 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.

Kelyn

Had I not been a part of this program, it is highly unlikely that the cover, title, author, blurb, or reviews would have led me to pick up this book. As I am not a reader of historical fiction and generally do not look in that area for reading material, the genre would have made it likely that I never even saw it. The sample did not induce me to want to continue and read the book. While the sample was entertaining enough, historical fiction remains an area which does not seem to hold my interest. However, I liked the author's ideas of highlighting how war affects marginalized groups such as orphans and makes them vulnerable.T The book seemed to be professionally edited. I found no errors.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 4:01 pm by Kelyn.

evraealtana

I would not have selected this book for myself because it is the second book in a series, which I would not normally read without having read the first, and because the photo on the cover makes it difficult to tell what the book is meant to be about. I was not interested in the storyline and found it to be dry and unengaging, so my decision not to read didn't change, but the reasons did after reading the first little bit. I didn't notice any typos or errors, but all the dialogue was written with single quotations, which might be appropriate for other dialects of English, but American English would prefer double marks. There was an official OBC review, which made the remainder of the book seem more engaging than the first ten pages were. The theme of the book, as presented in the official review, seemed interesting, and so I'm sorry that the first ten pages didn't hold my attention, because the premise seemed to have promise.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 4:01 pm by evraealtana.

Mbrooks2518

After reading the first ten pages and the glowing review, I will buy this book. The characters and plot seem very interesting. I like that the author immediately gave some background on Jamie and Jacko, then quickly got into the action of the plot.

I did find one minor editing mistake on page 2. Part of the sentence says "At the end of the war they had established the Darwin office." There should be a comma after war because it is an introductory phrase.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 3:29 pm by Mbrooks2518.

lisalynn

I would never pick up this book based on the title or cover. The blurb is more interesting. The first ten pages summarize Jamie and Jacko's history and relationship in a few paragraphs, and here some telling is fine. But then the trend continues into the current story. I'd like to see this opening scene play out completely in dialogue and action. It's a strong bit of drama, but it's diluted by not showing us what happens. Ironically, the mundane conversation between the men and a rescued kid carries on beyond its usefulness. The ideas are strong enough that I wouldn't mind reading more and hope the technique gets better. I didn't see any errors. No OnlineBookClub influenced me.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 3:01 pm by lisalynn.

CataclysmicKnight

I remember when the first book in this series was a book of the day before, so I would've been interested in this book as well, but I would want to read the other book first. As such, I probably wouldn't have looked into this further if it wasn't the book of the day.

So far I like this book. It sets the scene and characters up well even for those who haven't read the first book, and then quickly leads into a mystery. The main characters are on a boat and come to a ship that's wrecked, but notice some things off about it, and then find a young boy who doesn't speak their language. It's an interesting way to lead into the story, and I'm certainly intrigued about learning more.

I didn't notice any grammatical errors, and the writing has been perfectly smooth. I would almost definitely read more if the book was free today, but I can't see myself buying a copy, especially since I haven't read the first book yet.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 2:06 pm by CataclysmicKnight.

Laura Ungureanu

I haven't read the first book, but I know that it's a very good historical fiction, so I would've checked this book out once I had the chance. The review helped me understand the plot, which made me more interested in the book. Jamie and Jacko go to rescue a ship. They find a young dead boy in the water, two crew members, and a child who doesn't speak English. The child's name is Manuel. Child prostitution is a heavy subject which makes the book have a greater impact on the reader. However, I want to read the first book first, so I won't buy this one for now. It is professionally edited.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 1:38 pm by Laura Ungureanu.

Juliana_Isabella

I probably wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't usually read historical fiction, but, as the reviewer pointed out, this author chooses a unique perspective by highlighting how war changes the lives of the orphans it leaves behind. Because of this, I was excited to read the book, but I was ultimately disappointed with the first ten pages even though I didn't find any grammatical errors. The story begins in a rainstorm on a boat, which is arguably an action-filled scene, but the excessive narration and backstory and lack of dialogue slowed down the scene and took away the excitement. Because of this, I won't finish the book.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 1:10 pm by Juliana_Isabella.

gen_g

I have not come across reviews of this book; it also seems professionally edited. The story starts with a bang, and it's surprising that there was a kid still alive in that wreck. I also like that the story is realistic, with Jacko trying his best to communicate with the child by using the languages he knows, before realising that Spanish works. I currently have no suggestions for improvement. However, I will not be purchasing the book today, as I am not in the market for mystery/thriller books.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 12:48 pm by gen_g.

Theresa Moffitt

The image on the cover of this book caught my attention. I like the title. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The first ten pages tells the story of Jamie Munro and his shipmates as they discover a dead boy in the water at the side of their boat. They try to determine who the boy was and what happened to him. Then they discover another boy who is alive and looking for his brother. They try to determine what language the boy speaks in an effort to find out what happened to him. The first ten pages were interesting and well-written. I am interested to find out the mystery of what happened to these two boys. I would like to finish reading this book. I believe the book was professionally edited because I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages.

First Ten review added on July 5, 2019, at 11:39 am by Theresa Moffitt.

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