false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg 26571 7 Theo is traveling Westmark, learning about the country of which he will soon be Prince Consort. He is not surprised to find great poverty-Mickle (now known as Princess Augusta) could have told him that from her years on the street. His friend Florian could have told him about the aristocracy's graft and corruption. But neither could have foreseen a loaded pistol in the practiced hand of the assassin Skeit. The echoes of that shot ring from the muskets and cannons of a Westmark suddenly at war-a war that turns simple, honest men into cold-blooded killers, Mickle into a military commander, and Theo himself into a stranger. . . . <br><br> "The plot is magnificent, the characterizations are excellent, and the issues are compelling." (<i>Children's Literature</i>) 2188707 book 1982 The Kestrel (Firebird) total:555|5:159|4:213|3:156|2:25|1:2| 555 2167 738 24 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Wed Sep 19 07:35:09 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 19 07:52:39 -0700 2007
Here's from the publisher:

Theo is traveling Westmark, learning about the country of ...more...]]> 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 4 0 false Thu Feb 12 10:44:46 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 12 10:46:00 -0800 2009 2 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 4 0 false Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Feb 13 07:25:04 -0800 2008 Tue Apr 28 13:45:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1649014 0440943930 9780440943938 19 1 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1216741880m/1649014.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1649014.The_Kestrel 3 0 false Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 20 23:59:58 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 09:40:16 -0700 2009 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Tue Jun 30 16:43:22 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 30 16:44:26 -0700 2009 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 2 0 false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 08 13:28:58 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 13:29:35 -0800 2008 I didn't get through the third book. I was bored with the characters.]]> 774137 0606247270 9780606247276 7 1 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178232932m/774137.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/774137.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 26 11:18:41 -0700 2007 Mon May 25 18:28:32 -0700 2009
The plot relies on too much coincidence.

But I don't know a better introduction ...more...]]> 2183013 0525451102 9780525451105 4 1 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1251859918m/2183013.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2183013.Kestrel 4 0 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Nov 15 15:07:59 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 15 15:23:47 -0800 2007 more...]]> 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 4 0 false Thu Oct 08 22:59:05 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 22:59:18 -0700 2009 1161970 3404205022 9783404205028 2 1 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181522374m/1161970.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1161970.Der_Turmfalke 5 0 false Sun Sep 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 27 15:31:46 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 27 01:25:22 -0700 2009 1
Again, the characters - old and new - are very well thought-through and their developments are believable and sometimes frightening and saddening. The plot develops in a similarly believable way and I can't wait to read the final volume of the tr...]]> 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1991 Sat Jun 30 10:01:12 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 02 18:27:21 -0700 2007 more...]]> 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Sun Jul 01 07:30:42 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 01 07:31:57 -0700 2007 Westmark, and it blew me away nonetheless. Possibly one of the finest war novels I've ever encountered. Alexander is sardonic, even laconic at times, but always compassionate as he writes of the madness, pain, and creation inherent to war.]]> 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Mon Jul 02 00:39:04 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 02 00:40:38 -0700 2007 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 4 0 false Fri Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 01 12:48:26 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 01 12:56:40 -0700 2008 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Sat Feb 23 10:12:28 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 23 10:43:13 -0800 2008 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Fri Oct 10 18:56:59 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 10 19:02:42 -0700 2008 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 4 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 24 08:35:08 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 24 12:16:33 -0800 2008 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1996 Fri May 18 23:18:32 -0700 2007 Fri May 18 23:19:50 -0700 2007 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 3 0 false Tue Jan 29 22:05:43 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 26 22:46:03 -0800 2008 26571 0141310693 9780141310695 523 20 3.90 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167828520m/26571.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26571.The_Kestrel 5 0 false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1993 Thu Mar 06 18:41:48 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 18:42:39 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=26571