Review of A Desperate Turn of Events

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[Following is a volunteer review of "A Desperate Turn of Events" by M J Clark.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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As you may already know, modern Americans are not the descendants of the continent's native inhabitants. Under George Washington's command, the colonists fought for their independence, and a new nation was born from this effort. The Kingdom of Great Britain saw it as an act of rebellion, but to Washington and his men, that was a revolution. We are all aware of this strife's result, but how many of us know the progress? How many of us understand the British's feelings and the Americans' situation?

It was a harsh winter's night when Washington asked for Captain Coyle's presence. To keep his exhausted army safe, the general needed to monitor the British's movement. It was very crucial to their survival, and Coyle was the best choice for this task. Nonetheless, if the spy was discovered, that would be a certain death sentence. Coyle was still quite young, and he had a little daughter to care for. Should he sacrifice himself for the future of the Rebels? And if yes, how could he do that? If you are curious, you can try to find the answers in A Desperate Turn of Events: A Revolutionary Rewrite. It's a historical fiction written by MJ Clark to showcase a part of the Revolutionary War.

The plot's most interesting aspect is that it approaches us from both parties of the conflict, and the author gives them enough voices to express their thoughts. To the British, prolonging the war was a huge humiliation. In addition, it encouraged their other enemies and endangered their economy. The kingdom's pride was deeply hurt, and its ruler was not happy with the incompetent generals, resulting in a grand and cruel campaign against the Rebels. Meanwhile, Washington's forces were able to inflict some damages on their opponents, but they themselves suffered from internal discords, deserters, distrust, and lack of supplies. However, they tried to maintain their will to live and struggled to win their fight, even if victory would be gained at the cost of their lives.

On the other hand, if you are expecting an action-packed story, you may be disappointed. The plot focuses more on the analysis and strategies than the actual battles. In addition, I feel that Coyle is a bit too lucky with his mission, so the novel is not really suspenseful until its last quarter. This is probably because of the book's limited length, but I still wish the author would give him more obstacles. Moreover, I found a lot of grammar errors, so I suppose the copy needs another round of proofreading.

I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I deduct one star due to the above negative aspects. I would recommend this to those who are interested in historical novels or the American Revolutionary War.

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A Desperate Turn of Events
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