Review of Columbus, Slave Trader
Posted: 02 Aug 2024, 07:28
[Following is a volunteer review of "Columbus, Slave Trader" by Marcus Wilson.]
A historical novel about the first slave ships to cross the Atlantic, but from west to east, not east to west. It tells the story of Christopher Columbus sending 500 Native Americans to the slave market in Spain, but only 80 survived. “Columbus, Slave Trader” by Marcus Wilson is a fine novel that vividly portrays what happened during that time.
Initially, before reading the book, I thought it was going to be about events that happened on the ship while slaves were being carried to be traded in Spain. However, when I began reading, I realized I was wrong. I was surprised that most of the events in the story happened on land and mostly consisted of what Guarocuya, a spy, witnessed and experienced. The story delves into his decisions, relationships, and the reasons behind them—the sides he joined, the people he had to betray, and why he decided not to stay in Spain. The story is told from a first-person perspective, allowing readers to follow his ups and downs as it progresses. My favorite line in the book was, “Move swiftly as the wind and closely as the wood. Attack like fire and be still as the mountain.”
There are a lot of things that make the book great. The main highlight that stuck with me the most was how well the story was crafted. The author did an excellent job of transporting the reader to the past, painting a vivid picture of how things were at the time—the differences in weapons, the language gaps, and how things worked back then. He was able to meticulously weave the day-to-day happenings into the story. It was detailed and well-edited. Another thing that stood out to me was how it keeps you guessing. It was hard to tell how the story was going to unfold; each step Guarocuya was about to take seemed like it could result in mutilation or worse. It was difficult to guess how the whole thing was going to end, whether in his demise or his success.
Despite my best efforts, I cannot find anything wrong with the book. Hence, I am giving it a rating of five out of five. If you enjoy stories that are realistic and not overly fictional, you would enjoy this one.
******
Columbus, Slave Trader
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A historical novel about the first slave ships to cross the Atlantic, but from west to east, not east to west. It tells the story of Christopher Columbus sending 500 Native Americans to the slave market in Spain, but only 80 survived. “Columbus, Slave Trader” by Marcus Wilson is a fine novel that vividly portrays what happened during that time.
Initially, before reading the book, I thought it was going to be about events that happened on the ship while slaves were being carried to be traded in Spain. However, when I began reading, I realized I was wrong. I was surprised that most of the events in the story happened on land and mostly consisted of what Guarocuya, a spy, witnessed and experienced. The story delves into his decisions, relationships, and the reasons behind them—the sides he joined, the people he had to betray, and why he decided not to stay in Spain. The story is told from a first-person perspective, allowing readers to follow his ups and downs as it progresses. My favorite line in the book was, “Move swiftly as the wind and closely as the wood. Attack like fire and be still as the mountain.”
There are a lot of things that make the book great. The main highlight that stuck with me the most was how well the story was crafted. The author did an excellent job of transporting the reader to the past, painting a vivid picture of how things were at the time—the differences in weapons, the language gaps, and how things worked back then. He was able to meticulously weave the day-to-day happenings into the story. It was detailed and well-edited. Another thing that stood out to me was how it keeps you guessing. It was hard to tell how the story was going to unfold; each step Guarocuya was about to take seemed like it could result in mutilation or worse. It was difficult to guess how the whole thing was going to end, whether in his demise or his success.
Despite my best efforts, I cannot find anything wrong with the book. Hence, I am giving it a rating of five out of five. If you enjoy stories that are realistic and not overly fictional, you would enjoy this one.
******
Columbus, Slave Trader
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon