Review by FEislandqueen13 -- Conflict on the Yangtze
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FEislandqueen13
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Review by FEislandqueen13 -- Conflict on the Yangtze
[Following is a volunteer review of "Conflict on the Yangtze" by Greg Kater.]
CIS officers Jacko O’Brien and Jamie Munro have been called on to stop an influential smuggling operation in China. The lead takes them down the world’s third-longest river : the Yangtze. It was not long before the boys find themselves caught in a tangled root system of selfishness , corruption and scattered gunfire as common as flies. Greed has sunken into every manner of society. Jacko and Jamie learn fast that those who disrupt this system are crushed. Not only does the Yangtze churns with excitement but also flows with death.
Conflict on the Yangtze by Greg Kater is an epic read in its own modest way. What I liked most about this book was the well crafted dialogue. Which was both witty and entertaining. Greg Kater utilized the effectiveness of dialogue to its fullest potential. Markedly, each character had their own way of speaking that further exposed their personalities. Also, they were relatable. What few typos there were did not detract from the beauty of this novel.
There was nothing I disliked most about the book. Sure, having to pause to read through the dialect with care was a little distracting at first but soon I got use to the written dialects and it was worth it in the end. This book is full of rich dialect which the author uses to convey more information about the characters and their bearing.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Reason being, it hooked me at the opening sentence and held my attention to the end of the book. There are many appealing characters. What would a crime novel be without the deceitful personalities? It was well paced. While the story was not rushed it did not lag either. Moreover, transition of events was smooth : the story flowed like a river steadily moving towards the climax and a satisfying conclusion. The third person perspective was a wise choice . It was the best view point to convey numerous characters' emotions and simultaneously take the story from setting to setting.
Why didn’t I give the book 3 out of 4 stars instead? Well, despite the few typos, it was well edited. The book included a map of post war China and the Yangtze river at the beginning which I appreciated . Kater masterfully build up the tension layer by layer – with each chapter the lip biting apprehension would gradually increase. Superb storytelling!
Readers that enjoy historical fiction, crime investigation and snippets of thrilling romance would love this book. For one thing, it is a decent length and therefore a quick read. You would definitely find the humor and heart pounding apprehension appealing. There are no erotic scenes but the book does contain violence and profanity. I do not recommend this book to young readers under fifteen. Moreover, readers that find dialect distracting should avoid this book altogether as they would find attempting to read what is being said annoying. Be aware that black, yellow and white are used quite often to describe some characters' complexion. There are people who would find the usage of color to describe skin tone offensive. I would definitely give this book a second read.
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Conflict on the Yangtze
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
CIS officers Jacko O’Brien and Jamie Munro have been called on to stop an influential smuggling operation in China. The lead takes them down the world’s third-longest river : the Yangtze. It was not long before the boys find themselves caught in a tangled root system of selfishness , corruption and scattered gunfire as common as flies. Greed has sunken into every manner of society. Jacko and Jamie learn fast that those who disrupt this system are crushed. Not only does the Yangtze churns with excitement but also flows with death.
Conflict on the Yangtze by Greg Kater is an epic read in its own modest way. What I liked most about this book was the well crafted dialogue. Which was both witty and entertaining. Greg Kater utilized the effectiveness of dialogue to its fullest potential. Markedly, each character had their own way of speaking that further exposed their personalities. Also, they were relatable. What few typos there were did not detract from the beauty of this novel.
There was nothing I disliked most about the book. Sure, having to pause to read through the dialect with care was a little distracting at first but soon I got use to the written dialects and it was worth it in the end. This book is full of rich dialect which the author uses to convey more information about the characters and their bearing.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Reason being, it hooked me at the opening sentence and held my attention to the end of the book. There are many appealing characters. What would a crime novel be without the deceitful personalities? It was well paced. While the story was not rushed it did not lag either. Moreover, transition of events was smooth : the story flowed like a river steadily moving towards the climax and a satisfying conclusion. The third person perspective was a wise choice . It was the best view point to convey numerous characters' emotions and simultaneously take the story from setting to setting.
Why didn’t I give the book 3 out of 4 stars instead? Well, despite the few typos, it was well edited. The book included a map of post war China and the Yangtze river at the beginning which I appreciated . Kater masterfully build up the tension layer by layer – with each chapter the lip biting apprehension would gradually increase. Superb storytelling!
Readers that enjoy historical fiction, crime investigation and snippets of thrilling romance would love this book. For one thing, it is a decent length and therefore a quick read. You would definitely find the humor and heart pounding apprehension appealing. There are no erotic scenes but the book does contain violence and profanity. I do not recommend this book to young readers under fifteen. Moreover, readers that find dialect distracting should avoid this book altogether as they would find attempting to read what is being said annoying. Be aware that black, yellow and white are used quite often to describe some characters' complexion. There are people who would find the usage of color to describe skin tone offensive. I would definitely give this book a second read.
******
Conflict on the Yangtze
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
Latest Review: Doomsday by R. L. Gemmill
