Review of Dread Tribunal of Last Resort
Posted: 07 Sep 2021, 04:32
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dread Tribunal of Last Resort" by Brian Kaufman.]
"Dread Tribunal" is a Civil War novel written by Brian Kaufman. The main character, Decker Brown, has lived his entire life in Virginia. Decker was educated in Boston and works in a factory owned by his uncle. He manufactures fireworks called “illuminations” which bring his focus to rocketry, a little-known aspect of the Civil War.
Decker is in love with Paula Crane but their love and loyalty are tested as the country moves towards Civil War. The devastating war threatens to destroy his future and creates numerous challenges for Decker and his family. Decker’s decision leaves him with the devastating knowledge that he’d turned his back on everything he loved. Pops. Virginia. Paula. Could Paula reconcile a love for her family, for her country, with her love for a man who fought against everything she believed in?
Anybody who reads this book will enjoy the descriptive, well written scenes, for example the battle scenes: “He looks around and realizes the Union charge has won. The remaining rebels retreat to the rise behind them. A wild triumph surges through him, and he shouts until his throat is raw. The sound of a fieldpiece drowns out the sound, and a cannon shot cuts a swath through the massed Union ranks”.
There are many interesting twists and turns in the story that keep the reader eager to know what will happen in the end. Besides learning about the American Civil War, rockets and even a submarine, it makes a pleasant change from the regular books that most of us would normally read.
In addition, I enjoyed the fact that the book fast-paced with enough information. I didn’t have to wade through 800 pages to read a story that could have been written in 300. Line spacing and font make it easy on the eyes especially for us oldies. I particularly enjoyed the quotes in each chapter, for example: “In war, science has proven itself an evil genius; it has made war more terrible than it ever was before.” William Jennings Bryan.
The author, Brian Kaufman, has published numerous textbooks and novels. Brian began writing comic books for neighborhood kids at the age of five. His father, Harold Kaufman, designed propulsion engines for NASA, so his early stories focused on science fiction. Brian graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Literature and Creative Writing in 1999.
There are no negative aspects to this book in my opinion, I rate this book a well-earned four out of four.
Natalie Soine
7 September 2021
******
Dread Tribunal of Last Resort
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Dread Tribunal" is a Civil War novel written by Brian Kaufman. The main character, Decker Brown, has lived his entire life in Virginia. Decker was educated in Boston and works in a factory owned by his uncle. He manufactures fireworks called “illuminations” which bring his focus to rocketry, a little-known aspect of the Civil War.
Decker is in love with Paula Crane but their love and loyalty are tested as the country moves towards Civil War. The devastating war threatens to destroy his future and creates numerous challenges for Decker and his family. Decker’s decision leaves him with the devastating knowledge that he’d turned his back on everything he loved. Pops. Virginia. Paula. Could Paula reconcile a love for her family, for her country, with her love for a man who fought against everything she believed in?
Anybody who reads this book will enjoy the descriptive, well written scenes, for example the battle scenes: “He looks around and realizes the Union charge has won. The remaining rebels retreat to the rise behind them. A wild triumph surges through him, and he shouts until his throat is raw. The sound of a fieldpiece drowns out the sound, and a cannon shot cuts a swath through the massed Union ranks”.
There are many interesting twists and turns in the story that keep the reader eager to know what will happen in the end. Besides learning about the American Civil War, rockets and even a submarine, it makes a pleasant change from the regular books that most of us would normally read.
In addition, I enjoyed the fact that the book fast-paced with enough information. I didn’t have to wade through 800 pages to read a story that could have been written in 300. Line spacing and font make it easy on the eyes especially for us oldies. I particularly enjoyed the quotes in each chapter, for example: “In war, science has proven itself an evil genius; it has made war more terrible than it ever was before.” William Jennings Bryan.
The author, Brian Kaufman, has published numerous textbooks and novels. Brian began writing comic books for neighborhood kids at the age of five. His father, Harold Kaufman, designed propulsion engines for NASA, so his early stories focused on science fiction. Brian graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Literature and Creative Writing in 1999.
There are no negative aspects to this book in my opinion, I rate this book a well-earned four out of four.
Natalie Soine
7 September 2021
******
Dread Tribunal of Last Resort
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon