Editorial Reviews of 'Blue Horizon'

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Editorial Reviews of 'Blue Horizon'

Postby John R » Sun Jan 29, 2006 3:22 pm

http://my.linkbaton.com/get?lbCC=q&nC=q ... 031220339X

If anyone finds any new reviews on the net, then just add them to this thread, I'm always interesting in what journalists have to say in regards to WS books.

From Publishers Weekly
Smith's latest Courtney family adventure (after Monsoon), set in colonial South Africa in the early 18th century, follows Jim Courtney, scion of the English shipping and adventuring family seeking their fortune in the Cape of Good Hope colony, administered by the Dutch. A storm at sea blows a ship full of female Dutch convicts into port, and Jim saves the life of the comeliest prisoner, Louisa, before the vessel sinks. Louisa was unjustly imprisoned when she went to the authorities about her lascivious and violent employer. Jim's rescue infuriates the greedy Dutch overlords, and the Courtneys, with Louisa in tow, head north in search of more hospitable territory. The balance of the long tale is elephant hunts, exploration of Indian sea islands, battles among native tribes and conflicts between principled colonialists-Jim and his father and brother-and their baser counterparts, including Jim's treacherous uncle and most of the Dutch population. The Courtneys are adored by various native peoples, and a Bushman tracker named Bakkat becomes their acolyte and guide, while his enemy, Xhia, takes orders from the Dutch. The eventual confrontation of the two Bushmen is gripping, if readers can get past the generally condescending way in which Smith writes about black Africans. Subtlety takes a back seat in this broad tale, and readers may be exhausted before they get to the end, but the writer's fans will enjoy the ride.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
In a rousing installment in his Courtney Dynasty series, Smith provides an adventure novel of color and passion. Tim Pigott-Smith is, as usual, more than equal to the task as he transmogrifies his voice from African bushman to evil Dutch prize-hunter to British colonizer without breaking a sweat. Hear the drama of jungle hunting and full-on veldt battles between native warriors armed with magical power, horses, and spears and upstart Britishers wielding guns and cannons. A full complement of family infighting, exotic locales, and personalities provides escapist listening, peopled with characters who have real needs and desires. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Booklist

The eleventh volume in Smith's saga of the Courtney clan is every bit as riveting as its predecessors. In Monsoon (1999), brothers Tom and Dorian Courtney established themselves as both swashbuckling seamen and master tradesmen on the shores of South Africa. This time around, their sons, Jim and Mansur Courtney, are equally determined to carve out their own triumphs across the African continent. When Jim falls in love unexpectedly with a beautiful prisoner he spies on a convict ship, he vows to free her from her shackles and a life of certain misery. Escaping with the emotionally shattered and physically damaged Louisa, Jim flees cross country with both his beloved and his faithful manservant, Zama, in tow. Worried about their only son, Tom and Sarah Courtney pursue the young couple, eventually bestowing their family blessing upon them. Blazing a trail across Africa, Jim and Louisa traverse thousands of miles of unexplored wilderness, encountering risk, adventure, and passion along every step of their perilous journey into the unknown. Reuniting with Mansur, Jim and the rest of his expedition face mortal danger from an unexpected source. Brimming with bravado, greed, and romance, this rip-roaring historical romp across eighteenth-century Africa will mesmerize faithful fans and win new converts to Smith's trademark brand of lushly exotic fiction. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"Action is Wilbur Smith's game, and he is a master." -Washington Post Book World

"Master storyteller Smith takes his story into another generation of adventurers battling on the sea and on land."-Tulsa World

"A swashbuckling, brawling, sprawling historical epic of South Africa...will be appreciated by fans of historical fiction."-Library Journal

"More than 600 pages of pure pleasure...Smith can stretch a yarn and drag every emotion you have along with it...Smith has a way of drawing you into a story, and the time period matters not a whit."-Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)

"The eleventh volume in Smith's saga of the Courtney clan is every bit as riveting as its predecessors. Brimming with bravado, greed, and romance, this rip-roaring historical romp...will mesmerize faithful fans and win converts to Smith's trademark blend of lushly exotic fiction." --Booklist

"Gripping...broad...the writer's fans will enjoy the ride."-Publishers Weekly

"Really big retro-fun."-Kirkus Reviews



Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author and one of the greatest adventure writers of our time returns with a pulse-pounding tale of danger, courage, and suspense.

Tom Courtney and his brother Dorian battled both vicious enemies and nature itself on the high seas, finally reaching the Cape of Good Hope to start life afresh. Now, half a generation later, they are successful and contented: merchants and family men, prospering on the very edge of an immense and beautiful continent, Africa. In the tradition of Wilbur Smith’s earlier bestseller, Monsoon, this spellbinding new novel introduces the next generation of Courtneys. They are out to stake their claim in Southern Africa, traveling along the infamous “Robbers’ Road.”

It is a journey both exciting and hazardous---one that takes them through the untouched wilderness of a beautiful land filled with warring tribes and wild animals. But the most dangerous predators of all are other Europeans, crazed by greed, jealousy, and lust, and determined to destroy utterly all members of the Courtney clan. This quest for vengeance results in a desperate chase---both on land and sea---that is one of the most extraordinary in modern literature.

Blue Horizon is a truly great adventure story, told by a master novelist at the height of his powers.



From the Back Cover

The New York Times bestselling author and one of the greatest adventure writers of our time returns with a pulse pounding tale of danger, courage and suspense. In the tradition of Wilbur Smith's earlier bestseller, Monsoon, this spellbinding new novel introduces the next generation of Courtneys. They are out to stake their claim in Southern Africa, travelling along the infamous "Robbers' Road."

The Dream Of A Family.
The Future Of An Empire.
The Adventure Of A Lifetime.

With adventure in their blood, Jim and Mansur Courtney seek to carve out a life for themselves and their families in the unexplored splendor of Africa. But laying claim to a land devastated by war yields unexpected risks. No sooner does their journey unfold than their destiny changes with the daring rescue of a woman imprisoned on a doomed convict ship. Blazing a thousand-mile trail, they escape across a savage world of warring native tribes, bounty hunters, and predators driven by greed and lust. Now the Courtney's true quest begins-a life-and-death pursuit of a dream at any cost...

"The eleventh volume in Smith's saga of the Courtney clan is every bit as riveting as its predecessors. Brimming with bravado, greed, and romance." -Booklist

"Action is Wilbur Smith's game, and he is a master." -Washington Post Book World
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