Karla B. (gaslight) -
Helpful Score: 2
This is one of the more "perfect" Sunfires out there, in that belief has to be suspended and cliches abound. Danielle Verlaine's father is a sugar cane plantation owner in 1814 New Orleans who refuses to have slaves, but instead pays free men a decent wage. Nice and tidy for our heroine to be entirely palatable for modern sensibilities, but realistically the family wouldn't be wealthy at all with that business arrangement. It's a pretty glaring thing to overlook, and since it was referred to several times, the reader wasn't allowed to forget it.
Likewise the struggle of Danielle to choose between Paul and...I forgot his name already. Jean Lefitte's nephew, whoever he was. I want to say "Geoffrey." The descriptions of him are standard Hollywood pirate fare with an unattractive, borderline rapist personality (meant to be "intense") and Paul was only made likable near the end of the story. Prior to that, he was unrelentingly uptight. Danielle's indecisiveness between them didn't make for many engaging scenes because there was no good decision she could have made IMO.
It's a shame, too, because the history contained in the book is well-done. The War of 1812 isn't given much airtime in novels, especially juvenile fiction, and Schurfranz didn't fall down in that department, unlike in her characterizations. Having read more of the series, I've now noticed that Schurfranz's style is more simplistic, and dull in its simplicity.
I'd recommend it if you want to read the entire series or if you have an interest in this particular war.
Likewise the struggle of Danielle to choose between Paul and...I forgot his name already. Jean Lefitte's nephew, whoever he was. I want to say "Geoffrey." The descriptions of him are standard Hollywood pirate fare with an unattractive, borderline rapist personality (meant to be "intense") and Paul was only made likable near the end of the story. Prior to that, he was unrelentingly uptight. Danielle's indecisiveness between them didn't make for many engaging scenes because there was no good decision she could have made IMO.
It's a shame, too, because the history contained in the book is well-done. The War of 1812 isn't given much airtime in novels, especially juvenile fiction, and Schurfranz didn't fall down in that department, unlike in her characterizations. Having read more of the series, I've now noticed that Schurfranz's style is more simplistic, and dull in its simplicity.
I'd recommend it if you want to read the entire series or if you have an interest in this particular war.
