It's summer, and with summer comes reading. I just finished a trilogy for a website review platform called "Reader Views." They were short and fun, much like my summer is going to go this year. LOL! Here are my latest reviews for The Illustrated Colonials - books 1, 2 and 3.
The main characters of this story are Mei Ying, Glibert, Sheyndil,
Leo, Mahmoud, and Will O. The author takes the first part of the book to
introduce each of these characters. Jiaya Mei Ying is the moody teen whose
family controls the canals on behalf of the Chinese Emperor. Gilbert du Motier
is the handsome French Dragoon. Sheyndil is the Russian farm girl and
emissary to Catherine the Great. Leo is of German blood and next in line
to inherit the title of Baron. Mahmoud is the spoiled prince who will one day
become the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Will O. is the second son of a
prominent family of Dutch traders. All of these young people, due to
different circumstances, find themselves attending the same boarding school in
the Alsace region of the French Alps under the tutelage of Master Frestel and
Master Dubin. Each has been chosen because he or she is a “member of a
family with a wide reach” which is advantageous now that the “Bostonians have
triggered a world war.” (p.43)
The second part of this story shows the readers how these main
characters interact while undergoing an education that includes academics,
teamwork, manual labor, taking care of animals, self-defense, and the British
Nine Rules of War. As Master Frestel and the others at the school
reiterate, these young adults are being coached to help the colonials, learn
the American ideals of freedom, and to bring back these ideals to their various
countries. After the ultimate battle at the end of book one, Master
Frestel is headed to Boston while Mei Ying, Glibert, Sheyndil, Leo, Mahmoud,
and Will form a pact. The pact includes being honest with each other, to
always try to do good, and as Sheyndil so eloquently declares, “if one of us
calls, the others must answer. We each vow it.” (p. 92)
The Pact sets the stage for the ultimate skirmish, the
Revolutionary War. The readers will be amazed how the author seamlessly
weaves the young heroes’ stories into the fabric of this historical event
without altering the actual circumstances of the war. Personally, this
reader enjoyed seeing the war from a fresh perspective. Typically, the audience
is used to a white male perspective when it comes to the great Revolutionary
War. Mr. Durwood humanizes this dry subject by inserting these six
interesting characters from different countries. This is just the hook
our young adult audience needs to be able to relate to this piece of
history. However, young adults are not the only audience who will enjoy
the beginning of this tale. Adult readers who know a bit more about the
Revolutionary War will enjoy both the storylines and the history of the
war. People ages 12 and up who love historical war fiction should start
their journey by reading The Illustrated Colonists Book One: The Pact by
Tom Durwood. They will enjoy both the story and the beautiful
illustrations that accompany this story.
The six main characters, Mei Ying, Glibert, Sheyndil, Leo,
Mahmoud, and Will, scatter across the globe to spread the American ideal of
freedom; in addition, some of the young heroes try to improve the
infrastructure of their homelands using what they learned in school.
Gilbert finds himself in America participating in the Battle of Brandywine
while Leo is making friends with the colonials and sharing his idea for
advanced weapons. Mei Ying goes home only to be banished to the foothills
of Jinan. She decides to use her travels to spread the word of the
American ideal of freedom of religion. Along the way she meets French
Missionaries, Hessian despots, and a slew of other characters who try to impede
her way.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud builds canals at the palace in hopes that he
might eventually be able to bring running water to the working class.
Knowing he is not smart enough to build the canals properly, Mahmoud places
himself as an apprentice, doing the lowliest of jobs, to learn more to help his
people. Then his father, the Sultan, betrays his son and heir. When he
receives a letter calling him to fulfill the pact made in book one, Mahmoud
leaves to help his friends. The readers find Mei Ying travelling across the
county incognito still on her mission for Catherine the Great while Will is
finding his footing in the Dutch trade industry. All of the main
characters have faced various types of danger, but there is more danger brewing
for the young heroes. In the meantime, the American Ambassador, Benjamin
Franklin, makes an appeal to the French King, Louis XVI for help. The war
in America is not going as planned, and America needs allies.
In Home Fronts, the main characters leave their beloved
school to share what they learned and to help the Colonials in America.
Once again, the author skillfully embeds the main characters into the
Revolutionary War which gives this war a contemporary awakening. The
international perspectives each of the characters bring to this historic event
are both inventive and unconventional. They draw in a younger audience to
what is sometimes perceived by this generation as another boring event in
American history. This reader’s favorite scene is early in the story
where Mei Ying encounters the French Missionaries. The rapid-fire dialog
is interesting and funny. That bit of humor, for an otherwise serious
subject, shows how knowledgeable Mr. Durwood is about his feisty character and
the circumstance that she faces. In addition to the different perspectives and
the dialog, the illustrations that accompany the storylines further engage
those readers who may not choose historical fiction as their “go to”
genre. Therefore, The Illustrated Colonials Book Two: Home Fronts
is recommended for audiences from age 10 to adulthood who enjoy a good
adventure with a twist of history.
In the final installment of Durwood’s Illustrated Colonials, the
readers find the young heroes more determined than ever. Mahmoud,
disinherited by his father, crosses the Atlantic to aid the colonials’ cause.
Two additional men have been dispatched to follow Mahmoud. One man is
assigned as his protector and the other, his assassin. During the voyage,
Mahmoud matures and is transformed from a pudgy teenager into a lean young
man. As he lands in Boston, he is resolved to find Gilbert and deliver
the important documents that will aid the Americans both financially and in
strength with new alliances. Along the way, Mahmoud meets Gentleman
Johnny Burgoyne and finds himself at odds with the British leader. Mahmoud
is then kidnapped and eventually rescued by a Native American brave.
After a series of events, Mahmoud is reunited with his protector, Kace.
Mahmoud then reveals his tactical skills and aids the Americans at the battle
of Saratoga. After the battle, it is Kace who completes the journey on
Mahmoud’s behalf to find Gilbert and give him the important paperwork which
could help to solidify the American’s cause in their war for independence.
The papers delivered to Gilbert go to Benjamin Franklin who then
presents them to the King of France. As each letter is revealed to the
King, the pact between the six main characters comes to fruition. It seems that
an alliance has formed between the “Dutch merchants, Catherine the Great, the
Ottoman Admiralty, and Chinese seafaring cartels.” (p. X) Each of these
institutions have promised France great rewards if they aid the
Americans. The heroes have fulfilled their promise made in Book One:
The Pact. At the end, each of the main characters who survived are
still fighting for the American ideals bestowed upon them by their beloved
school masters.
Tom Durwood’s third installment of the Illustrated Colonials does
not disappoint. His creative storylines culminate in the ultimate win for
the Colonials. The innovative way he places these young heroes into the
narrative creates a more enjoyable journey for tween, teen, and adult
readers. While the tweens and teens are following the story to see what
happens next, the adults are reading to see how Durwood utilizes his characters
to influence a war in which they already know the outcome. Those who
enjoy historical fiction will fall in love with Durwood’s story. In
addition, those who crave adventure will also enjoy the journey these
characters experience. Therefore, it is the opinion of this reader that
all audiences from age 10 and up will enjoy this exciting book, The
Illustrated Colonials Book Three: Saratoga. However, one should also
read Book One: The Pact and Book Two: Home Fronts in order to
appreciate the entire story of these young heroes.
