Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed Sharpe's Gold : Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida, August 1810 (Sharpe) on + 491 more book reviews
This is the chronological Book 9 (and the original Book 3) of the Richard Sharpe series.
I enjoyed this book a lot, even though it did follow the standard Sharpe protocol: Sharpe and/or the British Army is in dire straits. Sharpe is selected for a suicide mission that must succeed at all costs. The only woman involved in the plot is impossibly beautiful and betrothed to the enemy, but she falls in love with Sharpe anyway. The endings to the books are never really a surprise (thank you very much, always-a-spoiler-title) so the suspense is not in "Will they succeed?" but "How will they succeed?" Add in more than a few shots from a Baker rifle, some powder kegs, bags full of gold, and some obstinate senior officers and you have yourself a pretty good story.
I am willing to forgive Cornwell for the seemingly formulaic approach to the Richard Sharpe books because they really are only so many ways to tell these stories. I don't mind so much that Sharpe finds himself as the constant hero in all of these military adventures, but the transiently-fall-in-love-with-the-only-woman-who-also-happens-to-be-beautiful plot point is the one repetitive aspect that does make me roll my eyes a little.
All petty complaints aside, these are still really fun books written by an author who knows his business and does it well. I've made it halfway through the series now and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sharpe's adventures will take him next.
I enjoyed this book a lot, even though it did follow the standard Sharpe protocol: Sharpe and/or the British Army is in dire straits. Sharpe is selected for a suicide mission that must succeed at all costs. The only woman involved in the plot is impossibly beautiful and betrothed to the enemy, but she falls in love with Sharpe anyway. The endings to the books are never really a surprise (thank you very much, always-a-spoiler-title) so the suspense is not in "Will they succeed?" but "How will they succeed?" Add in more than a few shots from a Baker rifle, some powder kegs, bags full of gold, and some obstinate senior officers and you have yourself a pretty good story.
I am willing to forgive Cornwell for the seemingly formulaic approach to the Richard Sharpe books because they really are only so many ways to tell these stories. I don't mind so much that Sharpe finds himself as the constant hero in all of these military adventures, but the transiently-fall-in-love-with-the-only-woman-who-also-happens-to-be-beautiful plot point is the one repetitive aspect that does make me roll my eyes a little.
All petty complaints aside, these are still really fun books written by an author who knows his business and does it well. I've made it halfway through the series now and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sharpe's adventures will take him next.
Leo T. reviewed Sharpe's Gold : Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida, August 1810 (Sharpe) on + 1775 more book reviews
The protagonist is supposedly back with the 95th but soon is on detached duty, marching toward the French lines. The book opens with him at table with the commanding general and fairly well received by his brother officers, but things soon go downhill with an encounter with a provost officer.
The author explains the nuts and bolts of pay, rations, etc. in these books.
Our hero encounters a guerrilla Senorita who is a very competent warrior, which is of interest in that we are considering the role of women in the armed forces as of this writing (October 2016).
The author explains the nuts and bolts of pay, rations, etc. in these books.
Our hero encounters a guerrilla Senorita who is a very competent warrior, which is of interest in that we are considering the role of women in the armed forces as of this writing (October 2016).
Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed Sharpe's Gold : Richard Sharpe and the Destruction of Almeida, August 1810 (Sharpe) on + 491 more book reviews
This is the chronological Book 9 (and the original Book 3) of the Richard Sharpe series.
I enjoyed this book a lot, even though it did follow the standard Sharpe protocol: Sharpe and/or the British Army is in dire straits. Sharpe is selected for a suicide mission that must succeed at all costs. The only woman involved in the plot is impossibly beautiful and betrothed to the enemy, but she falls in love with Sharpe anyway. The endings to the books are never really a surprise (thank you very much, always-a-spoiler-title) so the suspense is not in "Will they succeed?" but "How will they succeed?" Add in more than a few shots from a Baker rifle, some powder kegs, bags full of gold, and some obstinate senior officers and you have yourself a pretty good story.
I am willing to forgive Cornwell for the seemingly formulaic approach to the Richard Sharpe books because they really are only so many ways to tell these stories. I don't mind so much that Sharpe finds himself as the constant hero in all of these military adventures, but the transiently-fall-in-love-with-the-only-woman-who-also-happens-to-be-beautiful plot point is the one repetitive aspect that does make me roll my eyes a little.
All petty complaints aside, these are still really fun books written by an author who knows his business and does it well. I've made it halfway through the series now and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sharpe's adventures will take him next.
I enjoyed this book a lot, even though it did follow the standard Sharpe protocol: Sharpe and/or the British Army is in dire straits. Sharpe is selected for a suicide mission that must succeed at all costs. The only woman involved in the plot is impossibly beautiful and betrothed to the enemy, but she falls in love with Sharpe anyway. The endings to the books are never really a surprise (thank you very much, always-a-spoiler-title) so the suspense is not in "Will they succeed?" but "How will they succeed?" Add in more than a few shots from a Baker rifle, some powder kegs, bags full of gold, and some obstinate senior officers and you have yourself a pretty good story.
I am willing to forgive Cornwell for the seemingly formulaic approach to the Richard Sharpe books because they really are only so many ways to tell these stories. I don't mind so much that Sharpe finds himself as the constant hero in all of these military adventures, but the transiently-fall-in-love-with-the-only-woman-who-also-happens-to-be-beautiful plot point is the one repetitive aspect that does make me roll my eyes a little.
All petty complaints aside, these are still really fun books written by an author who knows his business and does it well. I've made it halfway through the series now and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sharpe's adventures will take him next.
