The Magnificent Savages

Savage Saga #1

by Fred Mustard Stewart

Signing on to one of his father's clipper ships as cabin boy at the age of twelve, Justin has no idea that he is marked for murder by his hated half brother, Sylvaner. Justin is saved by Samantha Aspinal, the beautiful daughter of a missionary, and they fall passionately in love. But when the ship is attacked by pirates, Justin is captured by the sensuously irresistible Madame Ching, who takes him to China as her slave.
Years pass. Samantha, still in love with Justin but fearing him dead, marries an Englishman. But Justin is very much alive. Knowing that his half brother has plotted his murder and stolen his inheritance, Justin savors revenge, starting an odyssey that takes him to Victorian England, the Italy of Garibaldi, and finally back to China, where he plays an intricate chess game of death against the evil Dowager Empress.
Justin's adventures include a gallery of unforgettable Sylvaner, who will stop at nothing to destroy his half brother; Madame Ching, who is struggling against the ancient Chinese culture that treats women as non-persons; Fiammetta, the beautiful, lusty Italian countess who falls passionately in love with Justin; and the Taiping warrior Li-shan, who shares Justin's love for Madame Ching and Fiammetta.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

383 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1996

About the author

American popular novelist, several of whose books were filmed.

Stewart came to be best known for his intercontinental sagas. Year in, year out, the 600-page mark didn't daunt him, a far cry as this was from early hopes as life as a concert pianist, something which had inspired his 1st novel The Mephisto Waltz (1968) which also began his lucrative connection with the film industry. Born in Anderson, IN, he was the son of a banker &, after the Lawrenceville school, near Princeton, NJ, he studied history at Princeton University & later piano at the Juilliard School in Manhattan. By the 1960s, he realised he wasn't going to succeed as a pianist & with marriage to a literary agent, Joan Richardson, in 1967, he began to write, & found immediate success with The Mephisto Waltz.

With The Methuselah Enzyme, Stewart showed wit, but it was clear that it wasn't Henry James. There was, however, a certain charm to Six Weeks (1976), told by a married aspirant for a Democratic senatorial nomination who becomes infatuated with a cold-cream heiress, largely at the behest of her 11-year-old, would-be nymphet daughter who, beset by cancer, has less than two months to live. Nabokov it isn't, but certainly better than the 1982 film with Dudley Moore & Mary Tyler Moore.

Reviews

[Beth Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like historical sagas, this book may be for you. The characters will travel from New York to China to Italy and back to New York. The story starts out in the 1850s. The central characters are the Savages, owners of a large shipping company. The story details their involvement in the opium trade and later as slave ships. It's a story of one brother who hates his half-brother because their father loved him best. It is their tale of revenge against each other.

Though I have loved Stewart's books in the past, I felt this one wasn't quite as good. There is way too much detail in describing buildings. And while a certain amount of historical background is necessary to build a setting and understand the conflicts, this book went into too much detail. It left me totally confused as to the hierarchy of several different Chinese rulers. It was hard to tell the good from the bad characters. And some scenes were overly long. I did keep reading though because I knew there was big revenge that was going to come at the end and I wanted to see how the good brother was going to get back at the evil one. It is not a disappointment from that perspective.

[Gio C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great adventure book filled with all the the things anyone could want. Action, Adventure, Romance and humor. I recommend it.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

You'd think that, because I give THE MAGNIFICENT SAVAGES only two stars, that I didn't enjoy it. But I did. It's immensely readable melodrama, sort of a poor person's Susan Howatch--none of it seems possible at all. Not only that, the characters are written with broad strokes, encompassing grace or evil, making for a very fun read. I picked it up because I remember as a child reading THE MEPHISTO WALTZ and THE METHUSELAH ENZYME. Nostalgia drove me to order the novel, and I had great fun navigating all of the impossible-to-believe plot twists. Should you read it? Only if you have a penchant for this sort of high-adventure, over the top, melodrama. I may read another Fred Mustard Stewart when I'm in the mood for books that have no bearing on the truth but do sustain interest through narrative hyperbole.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

ωραία περιπετειουλα...
καθόλου λογοτεχνία !
ενδιαφέρουσα οπτική κινέζικου πολιτισμού με δόσεις επίκρισης.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read by Fred Mustard Stewart and once again I was not disappointed with his writing. This story was mostly about Justin Savage the illegitimate son of a major New York shipping industry giant. There has always been rivalry between Justin and his brother Sylvaner the legal heir, but it intensifies after their father’s death. Pirates, opium trade, murder plots, war games, blackmail, the exotics of China and Italy, first love and lots of lust are discussed. The book is written over about 12 years starting in 1850 when Justin is just a teen and portrays his life into a young polished wealthy man despite his birth circumstances and bad boy past. One thing I enjoy about Stewart’s novels is the tie of history into a story usually based around a family heritage.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this series as a Christmas gift. Have been looking for a historical saga to get involved with. The first book, The Magnificent Savages is a good start. Set in the 1860's, it has a little bit of everything. The early years of New York City, both politically and socially, the high seas trade with China, pirates and more. Am looking forward to starting the next one.

[Fred Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A swsshbuckling adventure romance the setting in China for much of the book lent it oriental appeal while the story of this new york based sghipping family developed within international intrigue. An interesting read.

[Olean Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Beginning of a nice series. Privateers, piracy, sea traders, and great loves fill this book. Awesome read.

[Jackie Weger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the fabulous depictions of NYC in the 1800's. Stewart did a fine job taking his character from youth to manhood in one adventure after another. I did not skip a page.

[Matthew]

It was good, however, I had picked it up hoping for a grand adventure, but it ended up more of a romance.

[Jeannie Kilburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

this story was not about Savages but about a family named Savage. It was a good adventure.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Magnificent Savages" - written by Fred Mustard Stewart and published in 1996 by Forge. A first-rate adventure.

[Anne Monteith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Historical Fiction.