Review of The Abalone Ukulele
3 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Abalone Ukulele" by R. L. Crossland.]
The Abalone Ukulele by R.L. Crossland takes readers on a captivating journey of revenge, war, and even peace at times.
Set in different regions of the world, the story follows Captain Yi, sent to pay tribute from Korea to China. He ends up being betrayed and fails to serve his country. A disgraced soldier in the eyes of Koreans, he is exiled. However, he does not forget nor forgive as he plots revenge among the ranks of the US Navy.
Featuring different protagonists, the other half of the story centers around US Navy Quartermaster Hobson as he struggles in Shanghai and Stuyvesant Draper, a lieutenant. The plot deviates to focus on US politics. And by the end, the fate of these people converges as the plot reaches its magnum opus.
The characters are diverse and detailed, and every single one is unique with flaws and qualities. Some are heroic and wise, like Hobson, and some are crafted to be hated. This shows the author’s skills and deep research. R.L. Crossland portrayed the history of East Asia and its geopolitics authentically. And through his words, the reader is almost lost in the maze of history, navigating among the characters. This book is complex; however, it does not feel like the writer is throwing these pieces of information just to fill the plot; he uses them as a weapon to craft the most complex story and characters.
I did not find anything to hate or dislike about this book. It might have been confusing at times, but the author took great care to immerse the reader fully, and it all makes sense in the end.
Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is an intricately crafted masterpiece of fiction with characters that felt real and raw, and the author’s style of writing was complex yet understandable. Moreover, there were no grammatical mistakes, which leads me to believe it has been professionally edited.
I recommend this book to historical fiction enthusiasts. The author did a great job at crafting an exciting plotline and amazing characters, making this book engaging until the end.
******
The Abalone Ukulele
View: on Bookshelves |
The Abalone Ukulele by R.L. Crossland takes readers on a captivating journey of revenge, war, and even peace at times.
Set in different regions of the world, the story follows Captain Yi, sent to pay tribute from Korea to China. He ends up being betrayed and fails to serve his country. A disgraced soldier in the eyes of Koreans, he is exiled. However, he does not forget nor forgive as he plots revenge among the ranks of the US Navy.
Featuring different protagonists, the other half of the story centers around US Navy Quartermaster Hobson as he struggles in Shanghai and Stuyvesant Draper, a lieutenant. The plot deviates to focus on US politics. And by the end, the fate of these people converges as the plot reaches its magnum opus.
The characters are diverse and detailed, and every single one is unique with flaws and qualities. Some are heroic and wise, like Hobson, and some are crafted to be hated. This shows the author’s skills and deep research. R.L. Crossland portrayed the history of East Asia and its geopolitics authentically. And through his words, the reader is almost lost in the maze of history, navigating among the characters. This book is complex; however, it does not feel like the writer is throwing these pieces of information just to fill the plot; he uses them as a weapon to craft the most complex story and characters.
I did not find anything to hate or dislike about this book. It might have been confusing at times, but the author took great care to immerse the reader fully, and it all makes sense in the end.
Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is an intricately crafted masterpiece of fiction with characters that felt real and raw, and the author’s style of writing was complex yet understandable. Moreover, there were no grammatical mistakes, which leads me to believe it has been professionally edited.
I recommend this book to historical fiction enthusiasts. The author did a great job at crafting an exciting plotline and amazing characters, making this book engaging until the end.
******
The Abalone Ukulele
View: on Bookshelves |
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