Review of The Abalone Ukulele
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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Abalone Ukulele" by R. L. Crossland.]
While many historical fiction novels have a hint of mystery, they seldom have the level of complexity that R. L. Crossland achieved with his novel The Abalone Ukulele. In this work, Crossland weaves a web of interconnected stories full of deception, revenge, love, and honor. All of this is told in a way that highlights Eastern culture and values in a unique way that leaves the reader with a greater knowledge of the world.
The Abalone Ukulele mainly follows the story of Yi who is a disgraced and self-exiled Korean Army Captain on a journey to restore his honor by restoring the Korean fortune he lost in a failed tribute mission. Along the way, Yi faces many hardships rebuilding himself in the early 20th century as political tensions in the East are on the rise. Eventually, Yi meets a United States Navy Quartermaster and a member of the US Naval Intelligence network that convince the Navy to help Yi steal a shipment of Japanese gold to undermine Japanese efforts and aid in a potential Korean insurrection against the occupying Japanese forces. To pull off this endeavor, the three men must overcome complications stemming from crime families, the Japanese intelligence network, and multiple Chinese factions.
The first thing that sticks out in this novel is the inclusion of a map before the start of the story. I think that this is a great element to include considering the complexity of the mystery and how large a role geography plays. Likewise, the inclusion of a glossary, character list, and list of naval ranks allow for a more in-depth and complicated story to be told while still making sure the reader can fully understand it. Another strong point of this novel is the respect it shows for East Asian culture. Crossland expertly describes each unique culture in a way that compliments the mystery and gives the reader a deeper appreciation for those cultures. The characters are also very well written in this novel. Each of the three main characters is compelling, believable, and at least a little bit relatable because despite the feats they accomplish they all have flaws that make them human. Each of the three main characters is also developed very nicely with Yi seeing the most profound change by the end of the novel. Furthermore, Crossland packs plenty of emotion into this book in a way that no death is without emotional significance. The attention to historical detail is another very impressive aspect of this novel. Crossland very carefully details diplomatic relations and many of the events in the novel are only slightly changed from actual historical events. Finally, the most important aspect of this novel is the mystery. Crossland manages to create a mystery that involves numerous other mysteries and makes almost everything in the novel into a plot point. All of this contributes to a climactic ending where each revealed mystery was nearly impossible to predict.
It is truly hard to find criticisms for this novel. Although it started slowly, the exposition and character development in this part were very important for the later parts of the story. There were a few points where the reader is forced to make inferences about certain events but nothing unreasonable. Despite a couple of small typos at the beginning of the novel, it is clear that this book was professionally edited.
A truly complex and engaging mystery is hard to come by. However, R. L. Crossland delivers exactly that with his novel The Abalone Ukulele. This story takes readers on a historical journey full of deception and lies that will leave them with a newfound appreciation of Asian culture. For those reasons, I give this novel four out of four stars. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves mysteries even if those people would not typically enjoy historical fiction. Anyone who enjoys learning about the complexities of diplomatic affairs and the subtlety of actions against foreign powers would also likely enjoy The Abalone Ukulele.
******
The Abalone Ukulele
View: on Bookshelves |
While many historical fiction novels have a hint of mystery, they seldom have the level of complexity that R. L. Crossland achieved with his novel The Abalone Ukulele. In this work, Crossland weaves a web of interconnected stories full of deception, revenge, love, and honor. All of this is told in a way that highlights Eastern culture and values in a unique way that leaves the reader with a greater knowledge of the world.
The Abalone Ukulele mainly follows the story of Yi who is a disgraced and self-exiled Korean Army Captain on a journey to restore his honor by restoring the Korean fortune he lost in a failed tribute mission. Along the way, Yi faces many hardships rebuilding himself in the early 20th century as political tensions in the East are on the rise. Eventually, Yi meets a United States Navy Quartermaster and a member of the US Naval Intelligence network that convince the Navy to help Yi steal a shipment of Japanese gold to undermine Japanese efforts and aid in a potential Korean insurrection against the occupying Japanese forces. To pull off this endeavor, the three men must overcome complications stemming from crime families, the Japanese intelligence network, and multiple Chinese factions.
The first thing that sticks out in this novel is the inclusion of a map before the start of the story. I think that this is a great element to include considering the complexity of the mystery and how large a role geography plays. Likewise, the inclusion of a glossary, character list, and list of naval ranks allow for a more in-depth and complicated story to be told while still making sure the reader can fully understand it. Another strong point of this novel is the respect it shows for East Asian culture. Crossland expertly describes each unique culture in a way that compliments the mystery and gives the reader a deeper appreciation for those cultures. The characters are also very well written in this novel. Each of the three main characters is compelling, believable, and at least a little bit relatable because despite the feats they accomplish they all have flaws that make them human. Each of the three main characters is also developed very nicely with Yi seeing the most profound change by the end of the novel. Furthermore, Crossland packs plenty of emotion into this book in a way that no death is without emotional significance. The attention to historical detail is another very impressive aspect of this novel. Crossland very carefully details diplomatic relations and many of the events in the novel are only slightly changed from actual historical events. Finally, the most important aspect of this novel is the mystery. Crossland manages to create a mystery that involves numerous other mysteries and makes almost everything in the novel into a plot point. All of this contributes to a climactic ending where each revealed mystery was nearly impossible to predict.
It is truly hard to find criticisms for this novel. Although it started slowly, the exposition and character development in this part were very important for the later parts of the story. There were a few points where the reader is forced to make inferences about certain events but nothing unreasonable. Despite a couple of small typos at the beginning of the novel, it is clear that this book was professionally edited.
A truly complex and engaging mystery is hard to come by. However, R. L. Crossland delivers exactly that with his novel The Abalone Ukulele. This story takes readers on a historical journey full of deception and lies that will leave them with a newfound appreciation of Asian culture. For those reasons, I give this novel four out of four stars. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves mysteries even if those people would not typically enjoy historical fiction. Anyone who enjoys learning about the complexities of diplomatic affairs and the subtlety of actions against foreign powers would also likely enjoy The Abalone Ukulele.
******
The Abalone Ukulele
View: on Bookshelves |
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