The Night Angel

Heirs of Acadia #4

by T. Davis Bunn, Isabella Bunn

Bunn, T. Davis, Bunn, Isabella

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Adult Fiction

497 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Also writes under the names Thomas Locke and Davis Bunn.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book. The main characters, Serafina and John, were dealing with weaknesses, but growing and changing. I liked them and enjoyed reading about their adventurous spirits. The horrors of the slave trade and the animosity, hatred, and violence demonstrated by those who wanted slavery to continue was vividly portrayed. The ending was not what I expected, and was exciting, showing how those who rely on God to direct their paths may be surprised by the direction He takes them in. Book five in the Heirs of Acadia series will complete this saga, and I can't wait to read it. This has become one of my very favorite historical fiction series.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four of the Heirs of Acadia series. I really liked the very first book. It is written about a time in history that I always found interesting. Book two was still good, but in my opinion not as good as the first one. So when book three came around I waited. Then about two chapters in I was hooked. I thought it was the best so far. Now here is book four and this time I am thinking the same thing. Books three and four introduce some new characters. Loving this series. Christian Historical Fiction at it's best. I give it five stars.

[Sharon Paavola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read! These characters draw me in to their lives and I learn from them. Perseverance, fortitude, faithfulness, loyalty to God, family, and friends!

[Erica Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it doesn’t rank up with The Noble Fugitive (which I loved), I did really enjoy this book and found it an absorbing historical adventure.
The historical setting, as always, is impeccably researched and highlights some interesting places and facts—the Moravians and their mission against slavery and the lengths slave-owners will go to in order to stop abolitionists (which wasn’t something I’d thought about before reading this series). I loved the whole concept of Falconer being “The Night Angel” who bought slaves and freed them, and I thought it was executed wonderfully. The plot is solid and absorbing and it kept me reading.
The characters and character development are awesome too (although I have some thoughts I will go into in a minute). I loved Falconer’s quest to free the slaves and how it tied into his backstory, and the descriptions of Serafina’s artistry really connected with me as a creative type myself. The way she would get lost in her art and search for a mystery within it is such a good description of God-given creativity at work and I really, really loved it. The only characters I didn’t really connect with were two of the villains, Jeb and Cody. I honestly found myself skimming a bit when it switched to their POV just so I could get back to the interesting characters.
The romance…ah yes, that. Going with different love interests for Falconer and Serafina was…certainly a choice. Whether it was the right one, I don’t know. I was rooting for them to get together, but all in all I did enjoy the way the romances played out. There were moments when they seemed a bit forced, but Nathan and Ava were good characters who I connected with, so I was mostly willing to overlook that. Mostly. But honestly…I still think it should’ve been Serafina and Falconer, and this is my main criticism of the book. They set up such a sweet, well-developed romance in the last book and then split it up in this one. (And I wanted them to be able to break class boundaries—the way the romances played out in this book, it almost seemed like they both stayed nicely within their respective social classes, which I don’t think was the best message to go with.)
But all in all, I did enjoy this book and I’m interested to see where Falconer’s story goes in the next book.

[Betty Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a story that was inspiring and this one fit the bill! It was a pleasant surprise to find the setting in 1850's North Carolina with a mix of romance, emancipation and Moravian values. I listen to this book on CD and Narrator Suzanne Toren did an excellent job.

[Angela Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because the message I got from it was that you don't normally end up your first love.

[Aalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given it five stars, if it weren't for Falconer's violence in chapter 23, pages 229-231. Jesus said to "love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you." - Matthew 5:44 (New Century Version, NCV). Falconer didn't seem to be doing that. Earlier in the same chapter, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also. If someone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles. If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t refuse to give to someone who wants to borrow from you." - Matthew 5: 38-42 (New Century Version, NCV). Falconer certainly wasn't doing that. So, my point is, what message is this sending? Is it implying that it is okay for a Christian to fight back? I can't answer that for the author. This is just something I noticed and felt a need to mention. The book also seemed to go too fast, especially towards the end.
I read this as a stand-alone, even though it is part of a series. Surprisingly, I didn't see any reason why I would need to read the book before this. Regardless, I will likely read the rest of the series, if I can get copies of the other books.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of redemption and healing. Very enjoyable to read this adventure packed story rooting for the good guy. (there was one whole chapter solely limited to detail of sketches and painting and emotions that go with it)

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I cannot wait to read the next in this series.

This series has captivated me fully! Can't wait to read the next in this series, truly wonderful story telling,kept me turning pages to the end!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series and it had a great ending, which was the best part. I couldn’t figure out how it would end for sure until I got there. A pleasant change!

[Carol O. Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Well written book and unpredictable . Hard to put down. Made me want to read other books by this author. Deep Christian thoughts to chew on.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series finished on a high note.

[ANNETTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, hard to put down. A good value of faith & God. This book took me by surprise and the ending was super good !

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish reading this book. It wasn't a bad bad book, but I probably just wasn't in the right head-space to brush aside all its issues as I did the other books (and I actually had another book to move on to).

** It contains spoilers **

It wasn't the most exciting book right from the start, lots of waiting and church attending before anything really happened, but it was enough to keep me going. Then Falconer left on his quest. I was in two minds about his journey. It was interesting for a while - freeing slaves - but I kept thinking that level-headed Falconer was suddenly acting very reckless, spending lots of money that he shouldn't have, not actually doing the task he was set out to do, and not keeping a low profile like he should.

Then we move over to Serafina, and her passion for painting, and I am sorry, but it was really boring. I was aware that I should have felt the drama of Serafina trying to find that one element to turn her picture from very good to perfect, but I wasn't excited at all. The scene just dragged on. Then she goes over to paint another person's picture and we get the same "drama" of finding that element again. I was on the brink of quitting at that point, but I continued.

The whole getting Falconer to read in church - didn't get it at all. Here was a close-knit community that didn't like outsiders, and without knowing much about Falconer, the minister decided he needed to read the bible passage for the day? I couldn't find a valid reason for it and decided it was just that Bunn needed an excuse to add another church service to the book. I could be wrong, but I was left with that impression.

Then when Falconer told Ada about Serafina, I did quit. It was so clearly Bunn trying to get in a conversation about Serafina between Falconer and Ada. None of it fitted with either character, their current relationship and the story-line as a whole. I hate obvious writer manipulation of a book and it was just all too much so I walked away.

[Allan67 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that I read to Diana. We can't do much anymore after her stroke, so I read to her to spend time together. Diana has always loved to have someone to read to her - and I like to do just that.

In this book, the lead character shifts to Falconer and his quest to free slaves. In this quest he finds an idealistic community, acceptance, and love.

[Deb]

plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]serefina hears something in the middle of the night--assasins! she rouses falconer, her families hired hand/bodyguard and he gets her and her maid to safety. her parents are appalled at the lack of propriety though, and serefina realizes that even if she had feelings for falconer, there could never be a match between them. this is unfortunate because falconer loves serifina. but other matters must be taken care of, such as the families safety and business regardinga gold mine. falconer volunteers to go and take care of these matters, hoping time away from serifina will help heal his broken heart. he also has a mission of his own to accomplish--freeing slaves to make up for his time as a sailor on a slave ship. [return][return][return][return][return][return][return]style characteristics: pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]the bunn's capture the feel of the historical period well, and also create well drawn characters with inner and outer conflicts that drive the story along at a nice pace. serefina and falconer seem more that willing to move on to new loves after their break-up, which may seem strange especially in falconer's case. without knowledge of the previous books some parts were a bit clouded, but the main story was easy to follow without the backstory. falconer's luck in freeing the slaves is miraculous, as is his recue from jail. [return][return][return][return][return][return][return]how good is it?[return]an enjoyable read, a nice escape, adventurous and full of characters that are a pleasure to meet.

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve really been enjoying this "Heirs of Acadia" series. I was hesitant, however, to read this episode because the last one was so good. I enjoyed the relationship between Serafina and John Falconer. After reading the summary for this book, I knew that relationship would only be a friendship in future books. I wanted them to be together. But God had other plans, and to be honest, I wasn’t at all disappointed in the end. This turned out way better than I was thinking.

Ah, and the characters were incredible. God was foremost in their lives. Falconer, being an ex-slaver, reminded me so much of Saul/Paul. Both conversions created men who were humbled by God's grace and became true servants of God. For Falconer, making amends for his part in the lost slaves was vital. His intent was to buy and free as many slaves as his ship took, which was over 400. In this book he made a good start. Fortunately he was financially backed by an Italian prince whose family he saved, who were also against slavery.

Let me tell you…the ending was soooo good.

The audiobook is a bit disappointing in the narrator was not good with the female Italian accent. They sounded more Geisha than Italian. Then the gentle Falconer sounded like a bad guy than the sweet person he is. Next time I’ll get the Kindle version.

But I can’t wait to see what is next in the series.

[Maria Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book! I really recommend it. :) The plot went a way I didn't expect. At first I was a little upset about it, but now I'm actually glad it did. It also kept me excited for what was going to happen next.

The only thing I didn't really understand about the book was the fact that the Gavis family regularly went to mass and yet Serafina did really seem to know anything about Jesus and Him being our Savior. That didn't make sense to me...Catholics believe in Christ too! I also don't see how Mr. and Mrs. Gavis would be so connected with their faith as to require themselves to go to church every Sunday (as Catholics are obligated to do) but were not comfortable talking about God. Just didn't add up to me because I do know a little about Catholics. (Have some Catholic friends) ;)

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one I couldn't put down - the drama with Falconer made it very interesting. You know that Jeb and Cody are going to catch up to Falconer sometime to get their revenge. But Falconer going to the mine and then buying more slaves to rescue makes you wonder when he's going to run into them. The ending was total surprise - Falconer ending up in jail and Joseph going for help is nail biting because Vladimir, Jeb and Cody are looking to kill Falconer. Serafina to the rescue but Ada is there also. Has Falconer had a change of heart between these two women?

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely YA appropriate. A Christian spin on the slave trade and opposition in early America. I was watching the very NOT YA, NOT Christian spin on this in the TV series "Underground" at the same time which may have ruined this a bit for me. Characters in this book felt a bit unfinished. This is said with the disclaimer that I did not read the first book in the series though. Overall just ok.

[Slumbering Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this a 4 star rating, but some parts were just draggy and boring. I loved almost all the parts dealing with Falconer, but the ones with Serafina didn't interest me much. I thought the ending was a little rushed too.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this is book four in Heirs of Acadia, I think books three, four and five should be their own series. They have the same characters in them and the story continues. This one wasn't as enjoyable for me.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. Christian literature that is nondenominational. A Moravian woman can accept a former slave ship captain. Parents who are Catholic can accept a daughter who attends Protestant services. This was a cleansing my 'palate' book for Spring break.

[Margaret Hardie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #4 of the "Heirs of Acadia" series. I Continue to enjoy these books. My only issue with this one was the switch from love interests. I felt annoyed by that. Still, the books are inspirational, action-packed, and super interesting historically. Great read.

[Tammy Terrace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few books where the twists and turns of the plot constantly surprised me. Even the ending was not expected, but a very good book just the same. Another instance of really good historical fiction.

[Hildy Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grade: F

Got about 3/4ths of the way through and moved on to something else. Couldn't hold my attention.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book in the whole series. Each one kind of reads like a stand alone. But books 3 and 4 are best read together. This one was an excellent "Yarn" to read.

[Phyllis C · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Falconer continues to carry the story.

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 2 out of 5]

not exsactly what I like to read, finished the book just to sea the ending

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the deep Spirituality of the stories centered on Falconer!