In epic style, the new historical fiction series Prelude to Glory chronicles the miraculous events that gave birth to a new nation. In Our Sacred H...
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reviews
Jul 11, 2010
Faith
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This was a refreshing read, interlaced with revolution historical facts and the life of courageous fictional characters. I have never been a lover of history classes throughout my elementary schooling, but I've come to love history as I've aged and through reading historical fiction novels. This book had the right balance between dense historical facts and fiction. The fictional characters were well thought out and were believable characters. Surely the trials they faced could have been experien
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Nov 27, 2011
Haeley
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When I hear the words "historical fiction", I usually tune it out because I figure it will be boring. I finally swallowed my pride one day, and picked up this book, and I absolutely loved it! It was exciting, sad, funny, romantic, and overall inspiring. I began this book the summer before eighth grade, and when I found out we were reading it in Citizenship too, I was ecstatic! The characters felt real, and they helped me realize that it doesn't really matter what time period we live in
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Jan 04, 2011
Natalie
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I finished this book feeling humbled, grateful, blessed, and in awe. Never has the founding of our country felt more real; this book has brought it to life for me. Carter has created a fictional family that we get to follow through events that happened before and during the revolutionary war. Along the way we meet actual people and see the sacrifices that were made. Although this family is fictional, there were probably many who felt the same way and endured the same hardships. I am grateful for
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Jan 04, 2010
Jeff
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A great and interesting way to gain insight into the revolutionary war and it's major occurrences. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that the author expected the reader to know everything about sailing vessels. I found myself struggling to visualize specifics when I didn't have a full understanding of what the author was referring too. I think a simple paragraph or two of explanation as one of the characters "explains the fundamentals of sailing" to a novice would have been
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Jul 15, 2009
Humm... I like to think of myself as a bit of a history buff... I have mostly been intrigued by the wars that involved our country. But i mostly learn about the wars through historical fiction books like this. Then I look into the actual events that happened. I liked reading this book because i didn't know so much about our countries revolution I knew the famous names but not what people had done so I liked getting a feel for the first Americans lives. I didn't like so much the depressing a
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Oct 02, 2011
Candice
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I love this period of American history, and it was cool to get this perspective on the beginning of the Revolution.
Cons: The author tends to repeat certain phrases a lot. I also didn't really care for the big jumps in chronology near the end of the book. The overall premise feels similar to that of The Work and the Glory, but the writing isn't as good as Gerald Lund's.
Pros: An interesting story, and the author isn't afraid to hit us where we hurt. I learned a lot about the ea More...
Cons: The author tends to repeat certain phrases a lot. I also didn't really care for the big jumps in chronology near the end of the book. The overall premise feels similar to that of The Work and the Glory, but the writing isn't as good as Gerald Lund's.
Pros: An interesting story, and the author isn't afraid to hit us where we hurt. I learned a lot about the ea More...
Mar 24, 2010
Brittany
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I really liked this book. I love how our wonderful country came to be and I think the men invovled were all inspired by God. It's really nice to hear the story told with that same perspective. It's very moving. I really liked the characters - thought they were well written and developed. I also was surprised how much I learned about the Revolutionairy War! And this is just the first book. It's very descriptive and gives play by plays of many of the battles. Sometimes it was a little slow
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Nov 28, 2010
Rachel
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I read this series a few years ago, so I'm reviewing the series as a whole. The series is a historical fiction about the revolutionary war. They were sometimes hard to get into. The author is very descriptive and sometimes that took away from the storyline a little. However they were very well researched down to those very descriptive details. I came away with a whole new appreciation my country and what it cost to be free. There are nine books in the series and they are all very long. It t
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Jun 10, 2011
Rachel
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A friend let me borrow this one, I was a little hesitant, but by page 13 I liked it. It's a long book and I had it read in a week, I couldn't put it down. I have been waiting for a break in my schedule before I borrow the next book. I appreciated that the author included notes at the end of each chapter specifying which details were historically accurate and which were fictional. The author is a little preachy (I was suspicious before I started) but only about the notion that the Revolutionary W
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Jul 16, 2010
Louise
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I enjoyed reading this book in July, after celebrating Independence Day. We owe a lot to those who were part of the Revolutionary War. The book was long, and I admit skimming/skipping through the second half. The author went out of his way to have his characters fit the LDS idea that the birth of our nation was part of a divine plan. I believe that, but in the book it seemed forced to me. Anyway, I didn't realize there were so many volumes to this series (9!) and don't know if I'll invest that
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Jun 28, 2010
Pamela
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The Prelude to glory series is extremely fascinating, EW! Wolf spider! DIE DIE!!
Sorry about that.
Ok, the Prelude to Glory Series is fascinating taken from a historical perpective. It makes it easy to read and a lot more understandable.
But the fiction side of it is lacking. The author uses the same desciptions all the time, and leaves you hanging half the time on what's happening with the family. It's definately not a book I would recommend for the plot.
Blast. Now I hav More...
Sorry about that.
Ok, the Prelude to Glory Series is fascinating taken from a historical perpective. It makes it easy to read and a lot more understandable.
But the fiction side of it is lacking. The author uses the same desciptions all the time, and leaves you hanging half the time on what's happening with the family. It's definately not a book I would recommend for the plot.
Blast. Now I hav More...
Jun 10, 2008
Shauna
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I really liked these books. I know I must or I never would have slugged through the several thousand pages. It's a historical fiction series that follows a family (etc...) through the revolutionary war. I liked the characters, I felt for them and cared for them. I was interrested in the different romances. They were very involved in the war in ways that while a little Forrest Gumpish -weren't too unbelievable.
I liked learning more about the war in a less blah blah mind numbing way. A More...
I liked learning more about the war in a less blah blah mind numbing way. A More...
May 18, 2009
Sasha
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Good book, full of great first person perspective descriptions of battles. Carter isn't the greatest writer, though. I do care about the characters, but there's some redundancy and I find Brigitte just too foolish and headstrong to like. And there was MUCH too much usage of the phrase "points of light." At one point I nearly stopped reading because of that, wanting to shout, "Find a dang thesaurus, Mister!" Carter tries to convey the feelings of the Holy Ghost--sometimes
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Jun 23, 2009
Katie
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It's been a while since I've read this series, but I remember loving it. Too bad I got wrapped up in it when it first came out and paid full price for all of them.
Anyway, this is a very well researched series about the American Revolution. It is written from the viewpoint that the Americans had to have a little Divine Intervention to pull off what they did. This is a great book for history buffs because it is very accurate, but carrys a story, so it's not boring.
Anyway, this is a very well researched series about the American Revolution. It is written from the viewpoint that the Americans had to have a little Divine Intervention to pull off what they did. This is a great book for history buffs because it is very accurate, but carrys a story, so it's not boring.
Jun 04, 2010
Kara
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I really liked the religous undertone to this book, but one of the things that brought this book to the top of the good historical fiction pack was that at the end of every chapter the author reviewed what was fiction and what actually took place. If changes were made he even explained why he did it. A little too much battle for me, but I appreciate the enormous amount of work that must have gone into this and I'm so excited to start the next one in the series!
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Apr 29, 2010
Laura
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Impressive historical fiction series that focuses on a family during the Revolutionary War. I never even knew the author was LDS until I devoured the first two books. It reminded me of the Children of the Promise series, although this series definitely focuses more on the war events than the family development.
I only gave it four stars because, although I enjoyed each book immensely, I wasn't chomping at the bit to get to the next book.
I only gave it four stars because, although I enjoyed each book immensely, I wasn't chomping at the bit to get to the next book.
Jul 24, 2009
Pyper
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If you like historical fiction, these are great books. I like to get into the past and it makes it so when someone can write fiction and take the time to research to get the facts of history correct. It's more than just a talent as a fictional writer because history has already played out and an author needs to make it interesting enough for a good read. It's a fun way to read history (what really happened) and sort out the fiction.
Feb 25, 2009
Nancy
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I love this series! Historical fiction about the American Revolution. I've read books 1-6. They made me want to go to Boston and New York City (both of which I've since been able to do), and really made history come alive for me. I love that he references what is true and what is conjecture. Very similar to the Work and the Glory, only on a different topic.
Nov 08, 2009
Jessica
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I had started reading this to my children, but got caught up in it and stayed up all night to finish it on my own. *lol* I enjoyed the interweaving of the fictional family (and some fictional friends) into the researched history. Notes are at the end of nearly every chapter providing reference to where the historical information had been acquired.
Wasn't "churchy" but touched nicely on a snippet of the sprititual struggles within.
Quite descriptive, but sometime More...
Wasn't "churchy" but touched nicely on a snippet of the sprititual struggles within.
Quite descriptive, but sometime More...
Jul 08, 2010
Shelley
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These books opened my eyes to what the Revolutionary War was all about,and the horror and sacrifice of war and what it means to stand up for what is right. To see the God's hand in the people's lives and the miracles that happened for United States of America to come together. Amazing! These books changed me- I am so glad I read them.
Feb 03, 2009
Michelle
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The series is okay but I was frustrated with the description. I kept thinking okay lets get on with the story. It felt like it would take 1 1/2 pages to describe the uniform, etc. Great story but they kept losing me in all the description. I'd sit and scan the page to get on with the story.
Feb 27, 2008
Gigi
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This is my review for the entire series. The details in the book are amazing but at times can drag down the story especially the beginning of the first book. However, once the war begins and battles are fought those details help with understanding the revolution. They also allow the reader to feel the sacrifice that the colonists made.
I felt the book did a great job at making the Revolutionary War personable. The individual stories were vivid and I felt the Carter did a terrific job More...
I felt the book did a great job at making the Revolutionary War personable. The individual stories were vivid and I felt the Carter did a terrific job More...
Feb 20, 2010
Janice
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After reading this series, I wished that history had been more important to me when I was younger. I learned a lot about the birth of our nation and the men and women who were instrumental in obtaining the freedome that we have today. George Washington is truly a hero--and should always be!
May 18, 2010
Deanna
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I liked this book and I am excited to read the rest of the series. I'm enjoying reading some more specifics in American History.
I would of given this a higher rating, but the writing is so CHOPPY. I'm not one to be picky about that, but in parts it was driving me nuts. The Work and the Glory series is written MUCH better. I don't know how many books Ron Carter had under his belt when he wrote this, whereas Gerald Lund had many books under his belt when he wrote the Work and the Glo More...
I would of given this a higher rating, but the writing is so CHOPPY. I'm not one to be picky about that, but in parts it was driving me nuts. The Work and the Glory series is written MUCH better. I don't know how many books Ron Carter had under his belt when he wrote this, whereas Gerald Lund had many books under his belt when he wrote the Work and the Glo More...
Apr 01, 2009
Nicole
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Pretty good historical fiction. Easy read and offered details to my basic Revolutionary War knowledge. Plot moved a little slow at times and I found some of the conversations a little gaggy - not believeable. Still, worth the slow for many of the page turner parts.
Mar 09, 2008
Vicki
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This is a great historical fiction series about the Revolutionary War. For me, it was to the Revolutionary War what The Work and the Glory were to LDS church history. This series was written by an LDS author, though there is no mention of a specific religion in the series. However, it sometimes alludes to events with a slant toward on overriding power and a sense of destiny. This is an easy way to read the history of the Revolution as it is woven around characters in a central family. The
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Jan 26, 2011
Melissa
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I enjoyed these books becuse I love history. But I wish there was more of the characters in the story. The details are awesome I really found out so much about this time period. But the loss of characters in all the history was so sad to me. A whole book would go by with very little character growth or movement. Otherwise I would have like this series more.
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Oct 18, 2010
Lindsay
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After the first chapter I realized I had read this book before. It is a great series that humanizes the Revolutionary War and gives some great historical background. It is like a history lesson with some love stories mixed in. I really enjoyed it.
Sep 16, 2011
Aubrey
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This was a fabulous book! It had battles, a little romance, and true facts. It was written very well. It kept you interested and I could never put it down. You always wanted to know what happened next. I would suggest it to anyone! Its a great read!
Mar 13, 2011
Kristen
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This series doesn't follow the war chronologically- the first book goes through 1779 I believe. Instead it follows different people and their involvement in different aspects of the Revolution. Excellent. I enjoyed the emphasis on the obvious presence of divine involvement throughout.
