4 out of 4 stars
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There's something magical about reading a book on how things used to be. Perhaps it is the longing humans have for times past, maybe it is a throwback to a simpler time, or maybe we are just fascinated at how different the world around us used to be. War Cry by Dave Lloyd capitalizes on all of these sentiments and leads the reader to the infancy of North America and the heyday of its fur trapping period.
After killing two brothers in a duel while in the 10th Royal Hussars, James Hamilton sheds his commission, family name, and well to do English family to jump on a ship to the new world. Without much of a plan, except to start over now known as James Palmer, he soon finds himself in St. Louis, out of money, and looking for a means of employment. Having heard about the untamed beauty of the American wilderness, it isn't surprising that he quickly ends up on the payroll of "The Company", one of several fur trading companies of the time, as a clerk. Needless to say, James' life changes forever as he makes his way up the Missouri for the first trading season. His military experience and expert dueling skills come in handy as he and his new comrades attempt to survive the trapping season against the elements, the wildlife, and the hostile natives of the area.
I was sucked into Lloyd's story immediately. He has a way of writing that easily places the reader squarely beside his protagonist in the backwoods of Yellowstone, the fields of England, or a Mississippi riverboat. The reality of his book, that much of this really happened in one shape or form (if not exactly like this), is refreshing and allows the reader to relate even more to the words in front of him/her. You can't help wondering how you would do had you grown up in those wild times instead of living the life you do today. What I like the best about this book, however, is that it isn't only a great story in and of itself. Very subtly, Lloyd is educating you on North American history, native culture, the fur trading enterprise, the colonization of the West, and much more. Even if you weren't looking for it, you come away a smarter person having read this book.
There were only a couple of minor items I disliked in this book. Although professionally edited, I did come across a few typos/errors, but none of this took away from my enjoyment of the story. What I liked the least was that although it only had one timeline, the book was somewhat disjointed. There was, arguably four or five individual stories throughout this novel. Each of these stories had very little influence on the others. The pieces flowed together very well and I still enjoyed them all, but if that writing style annoys you, you may have more of an issue with it than I did.
Despite those minor points mentioned above, I am more than happy to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was exciting, educational, and brought out the inner adventurer in me. Anyone that loves historical fiction, wilderness stories, or stories about the early colonization of North America should immediately add this to their to-read list. If you don't like violence in your books or are squeamish when it comes to makeshift medical procedures, you may want to skip this one as they both play prominent roles in the book. All in all, I loved War Cry and am convinced that if you pick it up too, you'll be just as engrossed as I was.
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War Cry
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It sounds interesting, would definitely like to read the book.
