Review of The Aleutian Voyage

[Saint Bruno]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Aleutian Voyage" by Lou Marich.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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It is the year 1866, and America is still recovering from the Civil War and the shocking assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. President Andrew Johnson, who becomes president after the assassination, is eager to win the people's hearts to ensure victory at the polls come the next election. Hence, he decides to buy the Alaskan territory from the Russians to increase his popularity.

Jack Calsin, a field director with the Department of the Interior, is to survey and lead the expedition to explore Alaska. And the president gives him only a year to complete this task. After enduring a 26-day journey by rail in the first part of his journey to Alaska, Jack's nerve-wracking adventure is about to start onboard the USS Hercules. And neither Jack nor the ship's crew is ready for what's about to hit them. Will anyone survive this journey, let alone complete the president's assignment? Read The Aleutian Voyage by Lou Marich to find out.

This title is the first installment in a series, and I don't want to wait till the end of this review to tell you that I can't wait to get a hold of the second volume. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I love historical fiction books because they simultaneously educate and entertain the reader, and I am glad this one didn't disappoint. Having a first degree in Maritime and Shipping helped me to appreciate the author's narrations of the challenges of sea voyages in the 19th century. I must say that I don't envy Jack and the USS Hercules' crew in this book. And I feel insensitive to report that their predicaments on the journey make the book hard to put down. Yes, they are characters in a book, but I think the author's ability to make them appear real makes it easy for the reader to empathize with the characters.

I also like that this is a short read. With only a hundred pages, it's a breeze to finish reading the book in no time. And I bet you'd immediately wish you had the second installment. Hence, what I love most about this title is its satisfying end, especially how it still sets an intriguing tone for the sequel. Readers who don't enjoy reading about the deaths of many in books might find some parts of the story off-putting, but for the rest of us, brace yourself for an exciting short story with a thrilling climax.

There wasn't a thing that I disliked about this book. The author's descriptions are vivid, the illustrations in it are beautiful, the characters are unique, and I love that the author provided backstories for the main characters, making them relatable. The book also seems professionally edited, as I found only a few errors. Therefore, I rate The Aleutian Voyage a well-deserved four out of four stars. I highly recommend the book to historical fiction lovers, especially those who prefer to read short volumes in a series.

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The Aleutian Voyage
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[Faisal Kurfi]

Yes, this is something I'd be interested in reading for sure! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review, well done.

[DyanaFl]

I love historical fiction. I think it is their predicaments that will make this book particularly endearing for me. Would love to give it a shot. Thank you for your beautiful and detailed review!

[Okorji98]

There wasn't a thing that I disliked about this book. The author's descriptions are vivid, the illustrations in it are beautiful, the characters are unique. Great review.

[Prisallen]

I appreciate reading historical fiction books as well, especially when they are well written, and this one seems to fit all of the expectations and then some. I think that I could thoroughly enjoy it. Thank you for an excellent review!

[Kavita Shah]

After reading your review, I am quite eager to read it. Although I would not read it based on it's cover, but a short historical fiction series with some cold sea trip sounds fun. Thanks for the lively review!

[Clare Jose]

I usually read historical fictions very selectively. But seeing how largely positive your review, I'm interested enough to check this out.
Thanks for a great review!