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[(Chains of Freedom)] [By (author) Jess Mountifield] published on
Kaihaitu has been trained for leadership since she was a small child but nothing quite prepared her for the arrival of the British Redcoats. When they build their new fort right by the Maori fishing grounds and refuse to allow access to the Maori people there are very few options for Kai to take.
With her father dead and other villagers sick she has to make a choice between her heart and her head.
With her father dead and other villagers sick she has to make a choice between her heart and her head.
- GenresHistorical Romance
Paperback
First published June 6, 2012
25 people want to read
About the author
Jess Mountifield
112 books66 followersJess was born in the quaint village of Woodbridge in the Uk, has spent some of her childhood in the States and now resides in the beautiful Roman city of Bath. She lives with her husband Phil and her very dapsy cat, Pleaides. Jess can often be found either in a cafe, grinning behind a large mug of hot chocolate, at her desk, getting annoyed with her cat for sitting on her keyboard, or on her comfy corner sofa with friends, enjoying her high definition tv and surround sound system.
Jess likes playing massively multiplayer on-line games and has written fan fiction for Entropia. Her choose your own adventure story, written under the penname Marie Woodell, covers a romance about two in game characters. She also runs Flight Productions, a film production company, with a fellow writer. Jess' role is managing script writing and she's involved with a science fiction twitter project, a television fantasy drama and a feature film. She also has a clothing company where she produces her own original designs in a gothic style.
Jess likes playing massively multiplayer on-line games and has written fan fiction for Entropia. Her choose your own adventure story, written under the penname Marie Woodell, covers a romance about two in game characters. She also runs Flight Productions, a film production company, with a fellow writer. Jess' role is managing script writing and she's involved with a science fiction twitter project, a television fantasy drama and a feature film. She also has a clothing company where she produces her own original designs in a gothic style.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 8, 2013
“Chains of Freedom” by Jess Mountifield is a romantic story set in colonial New Zealand. Our heroine Kai is the leader of a peaceful hunting tribe which gets increasingly bullied as unworthy savages by the British Red Coats. Kai is not married and instead of falling for the Maori man that would be the perfect match for her she develops first feelings for one of the British Colonels and later, when there is an almost state of war between British and Maori, she gets drawn in by a group of Pirates who promise her help.
I thought the book was an excellent blend of history and fiction and Mountifield chose an excellent setting for the theme of young and forbidden love, the conflict between heart and head and doing what is best. The way some British treated natives was brilliantly portrayed but luckily Mountifield had other themes to attend to in the book and didn’t linger on the subject long, which is one of the things I admire most in a good historical writer. She has the ability to make her point and then move on to the next. The descriptive prose is amazing, there were some moments where for me the dialogue was too contemporary for the setting, but the characters were so convincing in other ways that it didn’t really matter. Mountifield advertised the book as historical romance, almost playing down her credibility as historian. Romance may be a big part of this book but the author’s ability as historical writer should not be diminished. Very impressive.
I thought the book was an excellent blend of history and fiction and Mountifield chose an excellent setting for the theme of young and forbidden love, the conflict between heart and head and doing what is best. The way some British treated natives was brilliantly portrayed but luckily Mountifield had other themes to attend to in the book and didn’t linger on the subject long, which is one of the things I admire most in a good historical writer. She has the ability to make her point and then move on to the next. The descriptive prose is amazing, there were some moments where for me the dialogue was too contemporary for the setting, but the characters were so convincing in other ways that it didn’t really matter. Mountifield advertised the book as historical romance, almost playing down her credibility as historian. Romance may be a big part of this book but the author’s ability as historical writer should not be diminished. Very impressive.
August 6, 2012
A lovely story from a different point of view. Kai is a young woman in charge of her tribe. Conflicts with the nearby British fort cause her people hardship, and she struggles to keep them fed. Her feelings for one of the redcoats only complicate things. Relations with the redcoats go from bad to worse, when a group of pirates show up. Kai sees them as her people's salvation, but they take advantage of her youth and inexperience.
I enjoyed experiencing Kai's feelings and emotions as she shoulders responsibility for an entire tribe, and yet is niave and vunerable. Her two pet monkeys are great comic relief. The other characters were well done too. Chains of Freedom is a good love story for any time.
I enjoyed experiencing Kai's feelings and emotions as she shoulders responsibility for an entire tribe, and yet is niave and vunerable. Her two pet monkeys are great comic relief. The other characters were well done too. Chains of Freedom is a good love story for any time.
January 16, 2013
This is a very well written and enjoyable book, which I'm extremely glad I took the time to read. The characters are well developed, and the plot moves forward at a good pace.
February 7, 2013
I received a copy of this for an honest review, so here goes!
Positives -
An Interesting story line about a Maori tribe leader, trying to save her tribe from the hands of various threats and invasions.
Good plot curve, with a satisfying beginning, middle and ending.
A strong female lead character; she was kick ass in some parts of the story, and I would have liked to have seen more of that from her! (see negatives)
I have thought about this book repeatedly since I finished reading it.
Negatives -
Not enough world building; I felt I needed to know what she was protecting so that I could have the appropriate "feels" towards the other characters in the story. Therefore, I wasn't emotionally invested enough in the characters to care what was going to happen to them, until about 3/4 of the way through the book.
I found some of the actions of the lead character to be slightly unbelievable, but maybe I am just a paranoid person?! (e.g would she really have gone to the pirate ship alone? I don't think so, and moreover, why did people LET HER?!).
Some of the chapter arcs in the middle of the book got a little repetitive at times - Wake up, something happens, decisions to be made, lie in bed thinking about romantic issues, sleep.
The ending was well brought together and since finishing the book I have thought about the book as a whole in a positive way, I definitely enjoyed it.
Positives -
An Interesting story line about a Maori tribe leader, trying to save her tribe from the hands of various threats and invasions.
Good plot curve, with a satisfying beginning, middle and ending.
A strong female lead character; she was kick ass in some parts of the story, and I would have liked to have seen more of that from her! (see negatives)
I have thought about this book repeatedly since I finished reading it.
Negatives -
Not enough world building; I felt I needed to know what she was protecting so that I could have the appropriate "feels" towards the other characters in the story. Therefore, I wasn't emotionally invested enough in the characters to care what was going to happen to them, until about 3/4 of the way through the book.
I found some of the actions of the lead character to be slightly unbelievable, but maybe I am just a paranoid person?! (e.g would she really have gone to the pirate ship alone? I don't think so, and moreover, why did people LET HER?!).
Some of the chapter arcs in the middle of the book got a little repetitive at times - Wake up, something happens, decisions to be made, lie in bed thinking about romantic issues, sleep.
The ending was well brought together and since finishing the book I have thought about the book as a whole in a positive way, I definitely enjoyed it.
February 24, 2013
I found this novella to be very interesting while at the same time, quite hard to get into. It was very intriguing and you got to know a great deal about the difficulties facing the lives of the Maori during the time period. I appreciate the fact that Mountifield didn’t try to fit lots of unimportant details into this novella. Considering the short length of the story this would have greatly distracted from the storyline. The author walked the perfect line between relevant story details and irrelevant ‘fluff’ while telling her story.
The character development was great, especially considering the condensed length of a novella. You really get to know the main characters and why they act the way that they do. She also shows the contrast between the three clashing cultures without making them seem like different species. Mountifield manages to highlight these cultural differences while showing that individuals can still act based on their own beliefs and values.
As a whole this was a quite well written novella. I really appreciate the author’s attention to detail and historical accuracy.
The character development was great, especially considering the condensed length of a novella. You really get to know the main characters and why they act the way that they do. She also shows the contrast between the three clashing cultures without making them seem like different species. Mountifield manages to highlight these cultural differences while showing that individuals can still act based on their own beliefs and values.
As a whole this was a quite well written novella. I really appreciate the author’s attention to detail and historical accuracy.
April 20, 2013
Chains of Freedom. An interesting book about a Maori tribe that has to learn how to live with invaders in their land. Not only British soldiers but also problems from an entirely different kind arrive.
Chains of freedom is well written and the story is easy to follow. It shows the problems that arise when cultures clash and the dangers that can arise when misunderstanding and miscommunication are piled on top of each other. Mrs. Mountifield has done her research for this book, the Maori characters really come out well.
Chains of freedom is well written and the story is easy to follow. It shows the problems that arise when cultures clash and the dangers that can arise when misunderstanding and miscommunication are piled on top of each other. Mrs. Mountifield has done her research for this book, the Maori characters really come out well.
April 29, 2013
Chains of Freedom is a great title for this book. What it emphasises
to me is that all FREEDOM has a price. Freedom is also confining if one
is loyal to that caiuse.
The setting is in historical New Zealand among the wonderful Maori people.
It is tastefully written abd written well. There is staeady drama and action.
In the muddle it slightly dragged for awhile which kept it from being a
perfect story and novel. This is adifferent twist to Historical Romance.
to me is that all FREEDOM has a price. Freedom is also confining if one
is loyal to that caiuse.
The setting is in historical New Zealand among the wonderful Maori people.
It is tastefully written abd written well. There is staeady drama and action.
In the muddle it slightly dragged for awhile which kept it from being a
perfect story and novel. This is adifferent twist to Historical Romance.
November 26, 2012
Engrossing story of Kai, a Maori girl, and her struggles to help her village survive against British troops.
June 21, 2013
Kaihaitu is the leader of a Maori village, and is under pressure to marry – but she prefers the company of her two Capuchin monkeys to the suitors in the village.
Nearby is a British settlement, the 'Redcoat fort' and Brits and Maori live side by side in an uneasy peace. Both sides claim the land, and need its fruits and meat to survive – but neither are happy. Yet despite their differences, Kai and Major Samuels find some common ground – especially in their hearts. Unfortunately, their love affair is doomed before it even starts as tensions increase between the two settlements. The tension is amplified further when Kai offers sanctuary to a band of pirates on the run from the redcoats (gotta love those pirates), until the truce is shattered. But Kai's problems don't end there – having lived her whole life in the village, she is not equipped to deal with the men of the sea, and finds herself in all sorts of trouble – with everybody she knows.
'Chains of Freedom' is well-researched, the characters are painted with depth and I felt an emotional connection with Kai as she tries to reconcile her duties as headwoman with the tugs of her heart. It did take me a little while to get into the story, but it was well worth persevering and once I was there, I raced to the end.
This is a fascinating commentary on the early colonisation of New Zealand that has an authentic ring to it and I'm happy to recommend it to any fan of historical fiction.
Nearby is a British settlement, the 'Redcoat fort' and Brits and Maori live side by side in an uneasy peace. Both sides claim the land, and need its fruits and meat to survive – but neither are happy. Yet despite their differences, Kai and Major Samuels find some common ground – especially in their hearts. Unfortunately, their love affair is doomed before it even starts as tensions increase between the two settlements. The tension is amplified further when Kai offers sanctuary to a band of pirates on the run from the redcoats (gotta love those pirates), until the truce is shattered. But Kai's problems don't end there – having lived her whole life in the village, she is not equipped to deal with the men of the sea, and finds herself in all sorts of trouble – with everybody she knows.
'Chains of Freedom' is well-researched, the characters are painted with depth and I felt an emotional connection with Kai as she tries to reconcile her duties as headwoman with the tugs of her heart. It did take me a little while to get into the story, but it was well worth persevering and once I was there, I raced to the end.
This is a fascinating commentary on the early colonisation of New Zealand that has an authentic ring to it and I'm happy to recommend it to any fan of historical fiction.
August 16, 2013
I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review.
A fantastic tale of the interaction between the Maori and the Redcoats, as the redcoats try taking over the Maori's land.
Just as Kai (the Maori leader) thinks she is getting somewhere with Samuels (a captain with the redcoats) in steps the pirate Captain Daniel who twists things and uses Kai's naivety to his own use and attacks the redcoats with help from the other two ships in his fleet and the Maori tribe!!!
After the attack Kai realises she has been used by the pirates and steps down as tribe leader and turns herself over to Samuels, but what will the outcome be and will Samuels and Kai ever admit to the feelings for one another and act upon them????
A fantastic read :)
A fantastic tale of the interaction between the Maori and the Redcoats, as the redcoats try taking over the Maori's land.
Just as Kai (the Maori leader) thinks she is getting somewhere with Samuels (a captain with the redcoats) in steps the pirate Captain Daniel who twists things and uses Kai's naivety to his own use and attacks the redcoats with help from the other two ships in his fleet and the Maori tribe!!!
After the attack Kai realises she has been used by the pirates and steps down as tribe leader and turns herself over to Samuels, but what will the outcome be and will Samuels and Kai ever admit to the feelings for one another and act upon them????
A fantastic read :)
May 2, 2013
Jess Mountifield
Chains of Freedom
An interesting and entertaining read that makes you think about things from the Maori tribes perspective when the British Redcoats started expanding onto their land. Well written, with good character development, I loved the way the story came together. Kai, in her naivety, made some bad mistakes but in making them right again showed her strength and love for her people. The book shows depth and feeling throughout, helping the reader imagine the story as it unfolds.
Chains of Freedom
An interesting and entertaining read that makes you think about things from the Maori tribes perspective when the British Redcoats started expanding onto their land. Well written, with good character development, I loved the way the story came together. Kai, in her naivety, made some bad mistakes but in making them right again showed her strength and love for her people. The book shows depth and feeling throughout, helping the reader imagine the story as it unfolds.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews