In summary, solid but formulaic in places.
Swiggs gets the novel off to a great start. It’s in the blurb, so this is no spoiler - the reader is launched in to the story like a rollercoaster, a gentle pull-off, setting the scene of a happy, but hard, life in the Australian outback, then the pace rapidly picks up as life for Toby and Paddy is changed forever.
And then, the story just kind of bubbles along. It’s a nice story, well told, a pleasant read with nicely developed lead characters, but compared to the incredible opening, it feels a little pedestrian, until Swiggs weaves his tale in with the real-life Eureka Rebellion, where the story picks up the pace again. Some of the minor characters feel a little contrived; Maree’s emotions seem to change with the wind, she could have been drawn a lot better.
Overall, a good, solid, comfortable, but slightly flawed.
Swiggs gets the novel off to a great start. It’s in the blurb, so this is no spoiler - the reader is launched in to the story like a rollercoaster, a gentle pull-off, setting the scene of a happy, but hard, life in the Australian outback, then the pace rapidly picks up as life for Toby and Paddy is changed forever.
And then, the story just kind of bubbles along. It’s a nice story, well told, a pleasant read with nicely developed lead characters, but compared to the incredible opening, it feels a little pedestrian, until Swiggs weaves his tale in with the real-life Eureka Rebellion, where the story picks up the pace again. Some of the minor characters feel a little contrived; Maree’s emotions seem to change with the wind, she could have been drawn a lot better.
Overall, a good, solid, comfortable, but slightly flawed.