3 out of 4 stars
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The Warramunga's War, written by Australian based author Greg Kater, is a story of friendship that lasts through the ravages of war. This is the first in a three-part series. Lieutenant James Munro and Sergent Jack O Brian meet in the desert, under a barrage of gun fire. They strike up an unlikely friendship that will strengthen through a lot of military activity.
Being someone who is interested in reading stories of the Aboriginies, the title intrigued me when I first saw it. But, as it turned out, the title of the story, at least by the end of the first part, is misleading. The Warramunga tribe feature quite vividly in the plot, and one of the main characters, who is half Warramunga (Jacko), does engage in war. But it has nothing to do with a tribe at war.
Lieutenant James Munro and Sergent Jack O Brian are typical 1940s heroes – intelligent, reliable, and ruggedly handsome. They represent the Australian army fighting against the pro-Nazi forces in the Wadi Damur south of Beirut. Sgt. Jacko's unconventional firing technique and his resilience help to save Lt. Jamie’s life, not once, but twice.
The novel is fast paced and exciting, for the most part. Though the exchanges between the characters came across as a little wooden and unnatural in the beginning, the writer seemed to have found his flow as the plot progressed.
Greg Kater is a master at bringing the settings to life. The book took me through everything from a 1940s war movie, to a James Bond movie of espionage and romance, and finally the 2008 movie Australia, flush with spiritual Aboriginal characters in a grand, larger than life setting. A bit of a documentary on the Warramunga tribe also features in there. If you’re someone who likes that mix, you'd definitely enjoy the novel.
The war-torn desserts, glittery belly-dancing performances in exotic Cairo, and the wild and dusty wilderness Down Under are testament to the skill of the writer in involving the reader as he works out his story.
The story takes a life of its own when Jamie and Jacko get to Cairo. The lively and unapologetically charming women may not be to your taste if you’re a modern day feminist. But they do form a very important part of the plot. The men would be lost without them. This is also the place where we encounter the dark side of the plot in the form of Matt MacAulay. The writer does a good job in bringing out intrigue, suspense, and thrill through this character.
The story seems to naturally come to an end with the characters waving goodbye to everything they hold dear in Egypt. Thus the last part of the novel, sweeping through the harsh Australian Outback seems a little forced. This is also the least believable part of the novel, with such mean bastards as Mark standing no chance against the novel's Dynamic Duo. The reader is left just as open-mouthed as the other characters in the novel, at just how easy it was for Duo to 'bring them to heel'. While the setting has been breathtakingly fleshed out, it does seem like the author couldn’t keep from editing this last bit out and really wanted the readers to experience where the characters come from. This may be important, but it could have been worked into the narrative earlier on, or in a different manner. I would, therefore rate the novel 3 out of 4 stars. The setting and the plot are fabulous, but the misleading title and the drag at the end bring the rating down. I am, however, looking forward to reading the next part in the series.
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The Warramunga's War
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