CALL OF THE RAVEN

I have been reading every book of Wilbur Smith since the 80's.I got dusillusioned about 4 years back when , his collanoration with other authors , was very negative.This book is of the old standard, factaual, wonderful reading and a followup on his wonderful characters , created by him.

Always liked Wilbur Smith. His attention to details; description of nature, the wild of Africa and the how he spins the yarn in a very complex way; bringing calamity and happiness side by side. Once you pick up a wilbur smith, you cannot put it down.

Excellent book by an all-time favourite writer!

I have been a WS fan since donkeys years. But as he collaborates…the quality of his books goes bad to worse. This book has no redemptive qualities in it. The ending left a bitter taste.

Reading

Nice reading

Good read

This is not Wilbur Smith material. This looks like it was written by an amateur. The plot is laughably pathetic.

Quite disappointed - although very easy to read , very predictable storyline , some contrived challenges - how many times can one guy gain and lose a fortune? And a very poor ending - almost making the story pointless - I have read and lived every previous Wilbur smith book - even those that are “ co-written” but this one was poor in comparison

God this book of you want to call it that is bad. Wilbur Smith was once a master story teller but these collaborations are a sheer insult will never read another again.Since the beginning of the ballantyne series Mungo st John has always been my favourite character in this sorry excuse for a book he's been made out to be a pathetic love sick boyI will keep to the older books for at least they were decent

Very predictable and felt somewhat lifeless, didn’t read like a proper Wilbur Smith novel, and over the years I’ve read them all. Readable and exciting in parts but same old plot and pathetic ending. No tension you just knew what was coming next !

Mungo St John had a charmed early life living on a southern plantation and being educated in England. His life was disrupted when he found his father had been made bankrupt and had killed himself. His father had treated his slaves well, and Mungo had grown up with the beautiful Camilla with whom he was in love. Barely escaping with his life he swore revenge on Chester who had ruined his father and taken Camilla for himself. A story of struggle and revenge.

As expected a cracking read if you are used to this authers style, it was of course always going to be on the Courtney type of theme and at times you had to remember which book you were reading if you had read Smiths previous books. Nevertheless it kept it's interest and if ghost writers played their part they were well schooled my their master.