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34th out of 36 books
—
27 voters
Queen of Swords (Wilderness #5)
by
Sara Donati (Goodreads Author)
It is the late summer of 1814, and Hannah Bonner and her half brother Luke have spent more than a year searching the islands of the Caribbean for Luke’s wife and the man who abducted her. But Jennet’s rescue, so long in coming, is not the resolution they’d hoped for. In the spring she had given birth to Luke’s son, and in the summer Jennet had found herself compelled to su...more
Hardcover, 576 pages
Published
October 31st 2006
by Bantam
(first published January 1st 2006)
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Well Ms Donati, just when I had thought you had done the unforgiveable, (Referance to
, and my review thereof) you go ahead in redeem yourself in a major KICK ASS way... DAMN how I love this family.... You are a talent to be reckoned with for sure, Up there among my lists of the greatests... Off to buy my copy of
~ Sad really as I am SO NOT ready to let this family go.... I really hope you are able and desirous of introducing us to another family of epic characters, real soon....
Until then.......more
It took me a long time to warm up to this book. That being said, I do think, overall, that I enjoyed it. The fifth in the Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati, it was only this book that I learned the authors real name. I have to say I was quite shocked that Rosina Lippi-Green was actually Sara Donati. As a linguistics graduate I am much familiar with her work there, and it does a lot to explain why the accents and "voices" of these characters are so accurate in these works.
As a bit of a re...more
As a bit of a re...more
This book was fantastic! This is the 5th in the series. I've commented on them all saying that it's a good story about a family, immediate and extended (slaves, ex-slaves and adopted children), living in the Frontier in upstate New York in the 1800's. There's always an adversary, and there's always LOVE (which I LOVE because I'm a sap). Anyway, the main character at the start of this series was Elizabeth who is a prudish, staid, but beautiful (of course) English woman who came to America to the...more
Well, it was hard to remember what had happened in the previous four books because it took forever to get a hold of this book, but as I recall:
I loved Into the Wilderness.
Liked Dawn on a Distant Shore.
Was rather bored by Lake in the Clouds.
Couldn’t put down Fire Along the Sky.
So coming to Queen of Swords was full of hope considering the last one I’d read. Wilderness was mostly about Elizabeth and Nathanial, and their story spilled over in Dawn, but Lake was mostly about Hannah Nathanial’s daught...more
I loved Into the Wilderness.
Liked Dawn on a Distant Shore.
Was rather bored by Lake in the Clouds.
Couldn’t put down Fire Along the Sky.
So coming to Queen of Swords was full of hope considering the last one I’d read. Wilderness was mostly about Elizabeth and Nathanial, and their story spilled over in Dawn, but Lake was mostly about Hannah Nathanial’s daught...more
I held off on this one for a long time. I felt that the Endless Forest Series had hit the rocks on Book 4, and I wasn't really sure I wanted to continue. But, with a lot of travel planned, I decided to take this as a plane book.
The first thing I realized was how little I remembered of Book 4. I know I read it - it's sitting on the bookshelf - but I spent the first part of the book feeling as though I'd come across an old friend after 10 years. Things were referred to, that I probably should hav...more
The first thing I realized was how little I remembered of Book 4. I know I read it - it's sitting on the bookshelf - but I spent the first part of the book feeling as though I'd come across an old friend after 10 years. Things were referred to, that I probably should hav...more
Oct 24, 2010
Sarah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
read-in-2010
I could probably give this 3.5 stars... I really like this series, but I have some small complaints about it that really flared up in this one.
I like the series because I like the characters. Starting with Elizabeth and Nathaniel in book 1, I slowly became attached to the characters at Lake in the Clouds and their extended family and friends. I really, really like Hannah and Jennet - they're great female characters. (I also really like Ben, a new character. He's awesome.)
This book spent WAY too...more
I like the series because I like the characters. Starting with Elizabeth and Nathaniel in book 1, I slowly became attached to the characters at Lake in the Clouds and their extended family and friends. I really, really like Hannah and Jennet - they're great female characters. (I also really like Ben, a new character. He's awesome.)
This book spent WAY too...more
It's hard to believe that I started this series only a couple of months ago and here I am reviewing the fifth book. It has grabbed me, and although I might read a book or two in between, I keep coming back to this series to see what happens next. This was one of my favorites in the series, probably because it took me, through the misadventures of the Bonner family, to a place I have never visited in my reading - New Orleans in 1814, as the rather inaccurately named War of 1812 is drawing to a dr...more
My reviews get lower as I continue with this series. While, I may enjoy the characters, I can't ignore the plot holes such as why was Jennet kidnapped by Degre? To have a new book seems to be the explanation. She wasn't held for ransom nor did he marry her. Why did he want her? so she could sit around on an island playing with her tarot cards until Luke rescued her! Then why did Honore have a fake marriage to Jennet? He could have just slept with her in exchange for taking the baby. And why was...more
The 5th in the Bonner family series. (Read them in order, beginning with Into the Wilderness.) What I liked about this installment was the chance to visit New Orleans during the War of 1812. I knew so little of this famed battle and Andrew Jackson's campaign, that is was interesting to get a closer perspective. What I loved about the book, like the rest, are the characters. Hannah is my favorite in the series, and she takes front and center in this one. More of her relationship with Jennet and L...more
A long historical novel of The Wilderness series - I read the first one, "Into the Wilderness," years ago then read this one, the fifth in the series, after picking it up on the remainder table. The book takes place primarily in New Orleans during the War of 1812 with quite a lot of historical detail but I would primarily call it a book of romance and intrigue. I found the information about the relationships and prejudices between the various races in New Orleans at the time most interesting. Sa...more
Queen of Swords is the 5th book in The Wilderness series by Sara Donati. It is described as epic historical fiction and it follows Luke Scott, his family and his half-Mohawk sister Hannah, during the period of 1812 in New Orleans (when the British tried to capture it).
I am a big fan of Diana Gabaldon, and wanted to find another sweeping historical fiction to sink my teeth into, and this was one series that some readers recommended. I didn't enjoy Queen of Swords as much as I might have liked had...more
I am a big fan of Diana Gabaldon, and wanted to find another sweeping historical fiction to sink my teeth into, and this was one series that some readers recommended. I didn't enjoy Queen of Swords as much as I might have liked had...more
Now I have read all the six books in this series. They were most enjoyable, even using same characters throughout. I so found the growth of each one to be interesting. Even when new characters were introduced each added to the experience.
Donati writes fine tales. These added to history knowledge, especially of War of 1812 and slavery.
In this book (# 5), the main fammily ends up in New Orleans during the famous battle led by Andrew Jackson. The customs and practices of the people of New Orleans a...more
Donati writes fine tales. These added to history knowledge, especially of War of 1812 and slavery.
In this book (# 5), the main fammily ends up in New Orleans during the famous battle led by Andrew Jackson. The customs and practices of the people of New Orleans a...more
Donati moves into the second generation of the Bonner clan (or third if you count Daniel in "Last of the Mohicans" as the first generation) by following Hannah and Luke Bonner as they look for their cousin Jennet in the southern U.S. Most of the plotline takes place in and around New Orleans as Jackson comes to fend off the British in 1814.
What I took away from this book moreso than others in the series is the randomness and cruelty of racism. For whatever reasons the characters in this book tr...more
What I took away from this book moreso than others in the series is the randomness and cruelty of racism. For whatever reasons the characters in this book tr...more
In the fifth book of the Wilderness series, Donati picks up very closely to where she left off in the 4th. I was pleased to see that she did not let the cliff-hangers from the previous book drag out too long into the 5th. Instead, she tied up most of the conflicts and created a few more. This book focused almost exclusively on Hannah, Jennet, and Luke, as well as the new friends and characters they meet during their time in New Orleans. I enjoyed the story, but found myself missing Paradise and...more
This writing is a historical romance. I takes place during the War of 1812. The setting is New Orleans and the characters come alive. You will get a sense of how they lived and the separation of Black,Indian and Creole as well as American whites peoples. There is more than one hero and the action puts you right into the story as you read. I learned more about Andrew Jackson in this book. It is an amusing, exciting and a must read. I am sorry I started at the end of this series...Donati starts wi...more
An epic tale, the Queen of Swords is an adventure worth taking.
This is the 5th book in Sara Donati's Wilderness series. I had not previously read 1-4, happened across this book years ago and just now got around to reading it. I had no problem jumping right in. It was written so well that it read like a stand alone story. I enjoyed it so much that I'll definitely be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list.
This book is a larger-than-life tale which primarily takes place in 1814 New Orleans. I...more
This is the 5th book in Sara Donati's Wilderness series. I had not previously read 1-4, happened across this book years ago and just now got around to reading it. I had no problem jumping right in. It was written so well that it read like a stand alone story. I enjoyed it so much that I'll definitely be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list.
This book is a larger-than-life tale which primarily takes place in 1814 New Orleans. I...more
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In this series of "Into The Wilderness" this was my favorite book next to the first one in the series. The second book almost made me stop reading but I persisted. I have loved the diversity of characters and the experience of different locations in the late l700's and up to the French and Indian war that started in 1812. I like getting into a series where I can live with characters for awhile and this suited that need.
If you come to the end of the "Outlander " books by Diana Gabaldon this will...more
If you come to the end of the "Outlander " books by Diana Gabaldon this will...more
I took a break from the Wilderness series after the third book, and wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. I'm glad I came back. This book was about the Bonner's dealings in the South during the War of 1812. It offered insights on the trials that slaves, "free persons of color", Native Americans and basically anyone who wasn't white and male. It also told about the differences between the sexes and financial classes in the amount of freedom afforded them. Although parts of the story seemed imp...more
Queen of Swords, the fifth book of the Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati, got off to a painfully slow start for me. I read several books in between stops and starts of this book, but I was committed because I knew it would eventually be good. I wasn't disappointed once the book got going, which wasn't until about 20% of the way through, but then I could barely put it down. I still love the characters (this book primarily covers Hannah, Jennet and Luke) and was glad for the addition of Be...more
I must begin by saying that I am terribly fond of Donati's writing, and the Wilderness Series of books she has written. Due to a series of simple mistakes I have actually read all but one of the books in this series, book four, but I read them out of order. I began with Endless Forests (book 6); not realizing it was the conclusion of a six book series, followed by books one, two, three, and five (which I had mistaken for book 4). Presently the only book of the series I haven't read is book 4, Fi...more
As the fifth book in the series, Queen of Swords by Sara Donati strays far afield from the endless forest and upper New York. In an attempt to reunite the family a portion of them travel to the Caribbean and end up in New Orleans just as the British were about to invade. Sara Donati has really expanded her scope with this story and finally integrates historical events and personages with her wonderfully developed and complete characters. General Andrew Jackson arrives in New Orleans, determined...more
4.5 Stars. This is the fifth installment in Donati's Wilderness series, chronicling the lives of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner and their children, and after spending some time on the backburner in the previous book, my girl Hannah is front and center again. She is, in fact, the Queen of Swords, according to her cousin Jennet's tarot cards:
A woman possessed of keen logic and intuition. Forthright is she in manner, and well-armed.
And the Queen of Swords is dealt the Ace of Wands: A new adventure...more
A woman possessed of keen logic and intuition. Forthright is she in manner, and well-armed.
And the Queen of Swords is dealt the Ace of Wands: A new adventure...more
I enjoyed this book. Perhaps it had to do with my low expectations given recent reviews and discussions with friends. I guess I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I thought the action was good and that it moved fairly quickly. I feel like I finished this book faster than many of the others. I'm not sure if that is due to size or good plots. This story deals mostly with the rescue of Jennet. The book centers around Hannah and Jennet and their relationships. A whole cast of new characters with r...more
I've read a lot of reviews of people frustrated with this book as it takes the action away from the original setting and I agree, I missed the setting of Paradise, New York. But this does explore more of the War of 1812. It gave a lot of context to a little known war and the situation in New Orleans during that time. Some of the drama was a bit more melodramatic than in previous books in the series but I thought the characters acted true to form, and I'm still addicted to this series.
So far I have loved all of the Wilderness Series by Sara Donati. The characters are interesting enough that you want to meet them, especially Nathaniel Bonner, Elizabeth Bonner, Hannah and Ben Savard.
Plus, the setting of the US in late 1770's and early 1800's is interesting. I have learned a lot about the War of 1812 and the complex relationships between the British, the French, the Native Americans, the early settlers, slaves of all colors and free blacks.
Plus, the setting of the US in late 1770's and early 1800's is interesting. I have learned a lot about the War of 1812 and the complex relationships between the British, the French, the Native Americans, the early settlers, slaves of all colors and free blacks.
A good read, part of a series of historical novels, though I'm familiar only with this one. The author almost ruined it for me in an author's postscript, by saying the history has to give way to the story if they conflict. That violates my standards for the genre, and I probably won't read another one because of it. She also sees fit to make the main multi-racial characters too good: a kind of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner syndrome.
What if Cora and Hawkeye (Nathaniel) had a baby? And he was awesome? and he met this proto-feminist, anti-racist english lady in the woods? And they fell in love, and had more babies? Oh, and they became abolitionists and fought the good fight?
This epic epilogue series to Last of the Mohicans is pretty rad. Yes a little chick-litty, but mostly very cool for it's historical accuracy and radical politics (for those times at least).
This epic epilogue series to Last of the Mohicans is pretty rad. Yes a little chick-litty, but mostly very cool for it's historical accuracy and radical politics (for those times at least).
Several years ago I read" Into The Wilderness" by Sara Donati. I like historical/romantic fiction and this book I passes around to many people. I read three of the following books in the series and I was recently given "The Queen of Swords". I enjoyed getting back into the Bonner clan, but I have fogotten many of the plots. It made me wish I had read them closer together, however I was still able to enjoy this book, too.
A good one - although I miss the NY setting. New Orleans and the islands didn't seem as realistic - but I don't know if that is more me or Donati. I am glad that Hannah finally found someone I thought was her equal. I'm a little bit frustrated at what Jennet went through because it seemed it was mostly for the sake of the story. There were a few loose threads that I wished had been better tied up.
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Sara Donati is a pen name of Rosina Lippi. Notice: Sara does not age. Rosina does. R is also here on Goodreads; any and all reviews will show up under Rosina Lippi, so she's the one to follow. Sara just sits here eating bonbons.
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