First Dry Rattle

A Reason from the Stars #1

by Celia Boyd

Tom Fletcher, a young surgeon from Worcester, in 1642, is thrust unwillingly into events of the English Civil War. He finds himself the quarry of a psychopath, whose criminal tendencies now rampage unchecked by the normal restraints of Seventeen Century Society.First Day Rattle is the first fictional memoir in the series, A Reason from the Stars.

Genres: Historical Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Dawn Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and riveting book taking in some of the horrors of the English Civil War. I really liked the book and found I couldn't put it down once started. Tom Fletcher, the young doctor is a likeable main character with some other great characters too. The beginning of the book starts with Tom's attempted suicide (not a spoiler as mentioned in the book blurb), as he rebels against going into the butchery business. Soon after he learns his trade as a doctor, supervised by his able cousin, Ben. Tom is thrust into the war reluctantly and tries to remain neutral throughout.
An unfortunate encounter with the evil, Brigstock causes him much pain and sorrow, with this man determined to see his ruin and death.
Not only did I enjoy a good read, I learned about a history I had very little knowledge of. The author appears to have researched the history and the era thoroughly and I enjoyed the language and the tone of this very believable story. Highly recommended to history lovers and anyone who likes a good plot.

[Chris Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this novel, although I thought the title was a bit confusing. An enthralling story of the English Civil War through the eyes of a young surgeon - I was particularly interested in the place names and how the novel unfolded in these areas. The characters are well-written and believable. The grammar, syntax, and spelling are very well done, and it's a pleasure to read a novel that doesn't have hundreds of mistakes - the only error I found was in the use of the word muppet (which I guess should have been puppet).
This certainly forms a good basis for a continuing storyline of our young surgeon.

[Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Dry Rattle pulled me straight into the grit, chaos, and humanity of the English Civil War. Tom Fletcher is not your typical hero, he’s flawed, stubborn, and yet completely endearing as he stumbles from would-be butcher to reluctant physician caught in the storm of history.

Celia Boyd does an amazing job balancing sharp historical detail with an engaging, fast-paced narrative. I especially loved how she gave both sides of the conflict humanity, it never felt one-sided or heavy-handed.

If you enjoy Bernard Cornwell or Simon Scarrow, you’ll feel right at home here… but Boyd’s voice makes this tale stand apart. A strong start to what promises to be a fantastic series!

[R.J. Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Dry Rattle by Celia Boyd is the first in the series A Reason From The Stars. Set in the 17th Century it disguises an intelligent and perceptive analysis of the English Civil War within the adventures of Tom Fletcher, a young surgeon who tries to stay out of the conflict and fails. The character of the psychopath who hunts Tom is clearly portrayed and show is the collapse of ordered society that goes with war and allows such people todo what they do.

The sine qua non of good historical fiction is that it should capture both the motivations of the people and their manners, dress and customs, and Celia Boyd achieves this so well one might imagine she had lived in that place and time. Certainly the lover of good historicals will find nothing here to question or dispute. What will stay with this reader is the feeling that this is how it must have been; there is no war worse than a civil war and we feel in First Dry Rattle the pain that everyone in England must have known. A tour de force.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is no fluffy romance with limpid eyed heroines in silks dreaming of dashing cavaliers, but a gritty account of what it was really like in the 1640’s. Instead it's a beautifully written adventure which delves deeply and convincingly into both the Royalist intractability to keep the natural order of things, and the Rebels’ determination that the rights of the common man must change.

The prose is elegant and the character of Tom, as well as Amyas and Phoebe are beautifully drawn. I learned a lot about 17th C medicine and the use of plant treatments which with the background of everyday life was extensively researched, elements which brought the story to life.

Tom discovers his own capacity for hate when his father is unjustly killed and he seeks revenge against his better judgement. As if things weren’t bad enough, Tom has made a dangerous enemy, one without a conscience who uses war as an excuse for unforgiveable behaviour. A brilliant, fast paced and exciting novel from an excellent author.