The Rebels

Kent Family Chronicles #2

by John Jakes

Young, dashing Philip Kent, now a patriot soldier, becomes deeply embroiled in the nation's fight for independence. He soon learns the cost of freedom is the highest price he will ever pay as he witnesses the nerve-shattering horror of the battlefield and faces the tragedy of his wife's mysterious disappearance. When has passion is rekindled by a beautiful Virginia widow, he cannot know that her illicit union with Judson Fletcher, a disgraced aristocrat, will forever taint the Kent family with "Fletcher blood." (from the cover)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, American Revolution, American History, War, American Revolutionary War

398 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

John William Jakes, the author of more than a dozen novels, is regarded as one of today’s most distinguished writers of historical fiction. His work includes the highly acclaimed Kent Family Chronicles series and the North and South Trilogy. Jakes’s commitment to historical accuracy and evocative storytelling earned him the title of “the godfather of historical novelists” from the Los Angeles Times and led to a streak of sixteen consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Jakes has received several awards for his work and is a member of the Authors Guild and the PEN American Center. He and his wife, Rachel, live on the west coast of Florida.

Also writes under pseudonyms Jay Scotland, Alan Payne, Rachel Ann Payne, Robert Hart Davis, Darius John Granger, John Lee Gray. Has ghost written as William Ard.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really tough to put this series down. It's fast paced, a bit of a historical soap opera, with a fantastic look at America's history for another couple of years of the Revolutionary War. In this book, we're introduced to another major character & get great glimpse into the lifestyle of Virginia. We're still keeping up with Philip Kent, Boston, & the Army.

The sacrifices the men in the Colonial Army made were incredible. Poorly led & supplied, far away from their homes & families, these men stuck through incredible hardships. Lack of food, clothing, boots, training, & medical care that made even a minor injury life threatening. Their families had to fend for themselves & the mail was iffy, so they couldn't even keep track of what was happening.

Slavery in VA, the westward expansion into Kentucky, Clark & the western frontier were also covered. No great detail, but a few glimpses of the folks that lived & traveled there did a great job of giving me some perspective on the times & people. George Clark makes a few appearances, too.

Another interesting note was book piracy. Apparently everybody did it even though it was illegal, but the financial penalty was so small, it wasn't worth the time to prosecute for most. Our hero is plans to start his book selling business by republishing Thomas Paine's works. He doesn't plan on paying for them, just getting his hands on all the pamphlets he can, printing & binding them nicely. Imagine that!

On to the next, The Seekers!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Kent Family Chronicles, the sequel of The Bastard.

I wasn't so enthusiastic with the plot of the second book of this series since Phillip has some childish behavior regarding missing his wife while he is fighting in the battlefields.

In spite of this, I'm still a big fan of the Marquis of Lafayette.



I must point out that the best books on the American Revolutionary War are Jeff Sharaa's 2 book series (Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause) which are much better than JJ's series: more accurate historical facts, less romance and much better plot engaging the reader during the whole book.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving, powerful tale and epic follow-up to ! John Jakes is the American Ken Follett!!

The Rebels picks right up after the events in the introduction to the Kent Family Chronicles in The Bastard. Taking place in the 1770's, Phillip Kent, now a soldier fighting the British in the American Revolution, participating in the Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, alongside Henry Knox, and George Washington, at the time General of the Continental Army in the war, before becoming the first US President. Kent also meets Gilbert du Motier from France (Gil for short) who he meets very briefly in the beginning of The Bastard, when he has a much smaller role. Gilbert, also an officer in the Revolutionary War, fights alongside Kent in the Battle of Brandywine. And we're also introduced to History Figure Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who serves as Inspector General of the Continental Army, in teaching the soldiers the essentials of military drills, discipline, and tactics to better prepare them during battle.

Henry divides his time fighting the war and being at him with his newlywed Wife Anne, and his newborn son Abraham Kent.

The secondary main character and new comer of The Rebels is Judson Fletcher, a hot-headed drunkard and a womanizer, living in Virginia on Sermon Hill, second son to ruthless Angus Fletcher, who is at odds with his son, who defends the black slaves working under his father, much to father's disapproval. After going to far, Fletcher is abandoned and shunned by Angus. Judson's brother older brother Donald, who is a Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress, who was able to fulfill his duties, offers Judson to take over for him, which he does, along the way meeting Thomas Jefferson (at the time of his signing the Declaration of Independence), John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.

Very moving and a great History lesson all at the same time, I could go on forever! Tomorrow jumping into Book #3 !

[Peggyzbooksnmusic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3 stars. Own Kindle. This is #2 in the Kent Family series. This episode takes place during the late 18th century American Revolution.

Even though the author makes this time in history come alive I didn't enjoy as much as #1 The Bastard. Parts of the book centered on a different main character than Phillip Kent and those parts dragged. But I can understand why the author chose to include this character as his storyline is important to the end of the novel and I'm assumimg to the rest of the series.

Lots of real historical people are featured and it's obvious the author has researched the events of the American Revolution. Again a warning that there is a lot of violence that some readers may find disturbing.

[Debbie Drury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this book series! The Kent Family Chronicles. This book went from right before the signing of the Declaration of Independence through the beginning years of the Revolutionary War. The historical milestones mixed with the fictional stories of the Kent family and others make it so interesting. It is crazy to imagine our country almost 250 years ago. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction books.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8 stars

Such a great series. I am LOVING IT!

[Steve Mahomet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a misstep on this one. More of a soap opera with the American revolution as its backdrop. The writing is still good and the story is paced very well. The plot is not as compelling as the first book. Still, the author does know how to cliffhang a chapter and that’s what kept me going. I’m pretty sure I’m done with the series.

[Beth Sponzilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Jakes has become a favorite author of mine. This is the 3rd book I’ve read of his. Great storytelling from historical accounts of the Revolutionary war. And great character development. You can tell Jake’s loves what he writes about. I’m in the middle now of two of his series!

[Constantine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Found the characters’ development collectively hit some kind of dead end. The American Revolution comes across as a rather dull affair. Pity. Was hoping the series of eight would carry me through the rest of the year.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5***

[Kathleen Kress · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every book written by this author seems to have a violent rape scene - not a fan.

[Samyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

These comments address The Kent Family Chronicles, the entire series of eight books, in audiobook format. All books are narrated by Marc Vietor. The entire series is approximately 125 hours of listening. Shortest book is 15.5 hours, longest over 26 hours. Vietor does a good job with narration, although the uniqueness of male voices is problematic. Most significant, you’ll have little difficulty determining who-says-what-to-who. Tempo and pacing fine, albeit the narration is a bit slow for my taste, bumped it to 1.25.

The entire series is a broad spectrum history of the United States from just pre-Revolutionary War through the 1890s and a chronicle of the Kent family through this time. Beginning with Phillip through the generations to the children of Gideon, a great-great-grandson. Members of the clan fight in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, are at the Alamo, the California Gold Rush, the Great Chicago Fire, the Johnstown Flood, and much more. The author skillfully intersperses vignettes of imagined and factual history. For example, two of the fictional characters of the series are sheltered for a few days at the home of the Lincolns in rural Kentucky - a baby is part of the family, young Abraham. One of the fictional characters is counseled by Benjamin Franklin. Fiction, Phillip’s childhood friend is Marquis deLafayette, non-fiction: deLafayette’s role in United States and French military. The series is rife with this type of paradigm, but it is not difficult to determine what is true and what is fiction. All the instances that involve the Kents and John Jake’s other fictional characters are products of his imagination. Much of the rest is a fun methodology of conveying historical events.

The stories are very listenable. I found no need to re-wind or fast-forward; no segment boring or irrelevant. Theses books are not ‘love stories’ in the typical sense, albeit familial relationships, the crux of The Kent Family Chronicles, must include love stories, n'est-ce pas? In those areas where a sexual encounter is defined it is relevant to the plot and tastefully written. This does not occur often, but the clan does proliferate :-). A word to the prudish: there are a couple of rapes vividly described.

Very typical of the time written, the 1970s, writing is a bit verbose. Several of these books were adapted for television mini-series, popular at the time.

John Jakes is a terrific historical fiction author, recommended. Enjoy!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe even better than the first in the series. Took a me a while to read due to travel and life getting in the way, but I enjoyed it.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philip Kent, nee Phillipe Charboneau, would much rather be at home, caring for his pregnant wife Anne. But after he was forced to kill his murderous half-brother in self-defense, Philip has gone all in for the cause of the rebels against British rule. Thus it is that on June 17, 1775, Philip finds himself on Breed’s Hill near Boston, waiting for the order to fire on the advancing Redcoats. Too soon, Philip will discover that the price of liberty is steep indeed.

Far to the south in Virginia, young wastrel Judson Fletcher dissipates himself with strong drink and other men’s wives. Denied the woman he truly loves, and disgusted with the system of slavery that gave his family wealth but too weak to stand up against it, Judson dreams of the West, but does not have the courage to go.

Neither man knows it, but destiny will entwine the fates of these rebels who never meet.

In the mid-1970s, America’s mood was pretty glum. We’d lost the Vietnam War, Watergate had done a hatchet job on trust in the federal government, and the economy was not doing at all well. But we did have an important anniversary coming up, the Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, generally treated as the birthday of the United States. Two hundred years of freedom (more or less) was something to celebrate, and thoughts turned more and more to that period in our history as 1976 drew near.

One of the most successful tie-ins to the Bicentennial was this series of books, “The Kent Chronicles”, a sweeping saga of one family’s fortunes during the first century or so of the United States of America. Extensively researched and well-outlined (the family tree in this volume indicates which family members appear in volumes that hadn’t been published yet), the series was well received, and at one point John Jakes had three volumes of the series on the New York Times bestseller list at once.

The story is told in tight third-person from the viewpoints of the two men (except for a brief section where Anne Kent is the viewpoint character.) Philip and Judson both meet many historically famous people while never quite making it into the history books themselves.

Philip serves the Continental Army in several important battles and behind the scenes actions. (It helps that he’s close friends with the Marquis de Lafayette.) A series of hard knocks musters him out before the British surrender, but some wise investments by Anne allow him to start his own printing business.

Judson acts as a substitute delegate to the Continental Congress for his ailing brother Donald, even helping to craft the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, his alcoholism and inability to keep it in his pants rob Judson of the chance to sign the document. He then has an even worse failure of character before his last chance at redemption comes up. His old friend George Rogers Clark needs men for a expedition in the West. Beset by some of the worst luck a man can have, will Judson arrive in time?

There’s plenty of exciting action, but it’s interspersed with lengthy sections where Mr. Jakes catches the reader up on events our protagonists weren’t there for, but read about in the papers. This is historical fiction with an emphasis on history.

There’s the expected period racism, sexism and anti-Semitism. Violence abounds, and a couple of characters commit suicide just off-screen. I had forgotten since I read the book as a teen just how much rape there is too.

Rereading this book after forty years, it’s pretty clear that the enormous popularity of the series was at least partially because they were the right books at the right time. They’re very much a product of the Seventies, made for 1970s America. That said, a blast of nostalgia every so often doesn’t hurt.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness that gives everything its value...

Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods...

It would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated..." ~~Thomas Paine

Those words are larger than life and spelled out the theme for this book in such ways that were unexpected and heartbreaking. The Revolution is on and westward expansion is in the works. The casualties are great. Collateral damage is unavoidable. The story is raw and gritty and continues the Kent Family Chronicles. Not everything that happens is happy or good. Our soldiers are suffering, starving, and dying to gain the freedom that so many of us take for granted these days. Their families are divided and even lost. This whole book just ripped me to shreds on every level. It haunted my thoughts and dreams and made me appreciate what I have now more than ever.

We were introduced to a new character, Judson Fletcher. I have to admit that I didn't like him very much. I felt bad for him for the most part, but there were two things he did that made me hate him. I won't say what they were to avoid spoilers, but I will say that he had a big problem with alcohol and that made him stupid and careless. I didn't see why he was in the story or what his exact purpose was until the very end and I do mean the epilogue. I was mildly surprised by it, but I almost expected it.

Philip Kent is right in the middle of everything. He's cold. He's hungry. He's having to learn to be a soldier when he wants to be home with his wife and son. Everybody is in the same boat. They have people they love and who love them. They're lonely, disillusioned, tired, and questioning their leadership (yeah, that means you, George Washington), and wondering if they can really win this war. The morale is low. Their spirits are low. There's dissension within the ranks. Death surrounds them. But he is reunited with his friend from France, Gil Lafayette, who is a general and on the side of the Americans. Lafayette was a true friend to Philip and I do hope to see more of him in future books.

The author didn't just say the words. He drew me into the fracas. I could almost smell the smoke from gunfire and cannons and hear the shouting and the screams of agony as men were hit and lay dying. There were incidents of amputations without any sort of anesthetic and the stench of the tar the doctors used for cauterization filled my brain. The story consumed me.

These soldiers were badass. That's all there is to it. All soldiers are tough, but the Continental Army was tough to the extreme.

The book was wonderful. Not a single word or scene was a waste as it led up to something bigger. It was filled with action, heroes, heroines, villains, and a ton of emotion. It's no wonder I was glued to it.

I sought the original versions of the books in this series. My copy is dated 1975 and has 534 pages. There was another release in 2012 and has just 450 pages. What happened the other 84 pages? I won't waste the money on a newer version to find out, but I have a feeling it fell victim to the politically correct police. My version isn't at all politically correct, but an accurate depiction of the times. I don't need anybody to sugar coat history for me or change it to make others happy. We're supposed to learn from history, so we don't repeat the mistakes.

I do recommend that The Bastard be read first.

I'm off to read the next book in the series.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in Jakes’ series about early America, which I read when it was published 50 years ago and am now re-reading in its entirety. These books are not high literature, but they are very readable – and, in my opinion, somewhat elevated - examples of good popular fiction.

In the first book, Philip Kent immigrates to America from France via England after his hopes for an inheritance from his father are disappointed. He learns the printing trade, falls in love and joins the ragtag American army.

In this second book, Philip is in the thick of things: Bunker Hill, Brandywine, Valley Forge, Monmouth. He worries about the wife and baby son he left behind, but he and Anne are fervent patriots. They’ve invested in a privateering company that is serving as an American navy, and Anne bravely raises their baby alone. But one of the captains of the privateers has an unhealthy interest in Anne. And, even when he becomes seriously alarmed by Anne’s much-delayed letters, Philip is unable to get leave to go home.

A parallel story, which will intersect with Philip’s at the end of the book, follows Judson Fletcher, the ne’er-do-well son of a sanctimonious, slave-holding plantation owner. Judson’s alcoholism and bad temper continually ruin every chance he is offered. In particular, the family of the woman he loved, Peggy, refused to allow her to marry him. After a horrifying incident with the now-married Peggy, Judson becomes determined to redeem himself by joining George Rogers Clark’s military expedition to open a western front against the British. My beloved hometown, Pittsburgh, has a cameo role in this section of the book.

The action in this novel is non-stop and well-paced. And the characters have clear moral qualities, which used to be typical in popular literature, but is now rare. We expect high literature to present us with complicated characters and nuanced situations that make us think. But now anti-heroes abound even in pop fiction and most popular literature lacks any moral core. I wonder if this is part of the reason for our moral breakdown in recent years, or if it is just a symptom. I miss books like this one where the heroes are certainly flawed, but they know when they’ve done wrong and try to improve. Even Judson, in this novel, understands that he is debauched and keeps trying to reform.

I also liked how Jakes shows us how slaveholding warps the character of the slaveholders, and how easy it was to deplete their land using slave labor. Again, there’s a moral message there that is often lacking in more recent fiction.

Very compelling reading. I look forward to re-reading the rest of the series.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second installment of the Kent family Chronicles, a fictional account of one family and their descendants as they travel through American History. The title refers to the American Patriots who fought the Revolutionary War against Britain. It follows the actual history quite well. The primary character is Philip Kent, who is a carryover from the first book, The Bastard. Philip came to the United States from France in the years just before the American Revolution. It shows how a bastard child from Europe cold come to America and receive a new, clean start and thrive. The fictional characters do encounter many actual prominent historical figures in this story. Those people are accurately portrayed in this book. The fictional characters encounter many hardships and make many sacrifices during this war, as you would expect. For the most part, they have the perseverance to overcome or at least deal with these setbacks as best they can. The death of love ones can be expected. That coincides with the actual struggles Americans endured at this time in history. It was an enjoyable book to read as the fictional characters have all the common traits of real people. How “real” people dealt with turbulent, revolutionary times is what this book tries to get across to the reader while entertaining the reader with a compelling storyline.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up where The Bastard ended, Philip has joined the Continental Army and is fighting alongside George Washington and the Marquis Lafayette. Anne remains just outside of Boston with her father. A new character, Judson, is introduced; a Virginian plantation owner’s second son he is struggling to find his place in the world while constantly arguing against his Tory father. Will Phillip survive the Revolutionary War? How will it affect his life with Anne? Will Judson find his place in the world?

This is an action filled novel that follows the tumultuous colonial life during the Revolutionary War. It brings the struggle of the average Continental soldier to light as well as the conditions in which they fought. Judson’s storyline takes this novel out of the northeast and into the southern “colonies” bringing their concerns and lifestyle to light as well. It is a well-written, easy-to-read historical novel. Reading about how Phillip’s life has changed alongside with the “Colonies” state of existence is interesting. I really enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Philip Kent fights for his new country during the Revolutionary War, in the historical family saga Philip Kent standing as a Continental solider at the Battle of Bunker Hill. In a bold move, Kent has taken up arms for the future of his new family. Spirited and unwavering in his dedication to his adopted homeland, Kent fights in the most violent battles in America’s early history. As the Revolution rages, Kent’s story interweaves with the trials of a vivid cast of characters, both famous and unknown. The result is a tautly plotted epic novel that transports the reader into the thrilling adventure of a man’s fight for a new life." My husband, his aunt and I read this whole series during the 1970's when they first came out - all three of us would read them in less then a weekend and couldn't wait for the next one to come out. They were so very good you felt like you were right there living the story with them!

[Terese · Rating 2 out of 5]

My dad was going to throw out some books from my grandmother's old collection and this whole Kent Family Chronicles series was in it, I was drawn to give them a try because, well, they looked like good beach reads and it is beach-reading-season!

It's not the worst I've ever read, but it wasn't really good either. I'm not sure what it was but for me, something about the plot and the characters just fell flat. I know it's historical fiction, but it grates me a little when the names of real people are used for fictionalized versions of them. It was, basically, a decent book to read, but I never felt like I got into the story or really cared about the characters either.

Maybe that's where the shoe doesn't fit... the characters were awfully flat.
I have the rest of the series now in my bookshelf, but I doubt I'll get through them all, maybe I'll give one more a try, for grandma's sake.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this second volume of the Kent Family Chronicles. I thought the story and characters were interesting and engaging (even the loathsome Judson Fletcher). I was happy to return to this story after having read The Bastard last year and I am glad the story remained just as good.

This series is shaping up to basically be a historical soap opera in book form. I'm not a fan of soaps in the slightest and some of the soapier aspects of this make me laugh out loud, but the story is strong enough to overcome by John Jakes' strong writing. He was a master at historical fiction.

I am eager to see where these characters and their story go.

[Linda M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great history lesson from John Jakes. The Rebels continues with the story of Philip Kent and his role in the Revolutionary War. The reader is also introduced to Judson Fletcher, the second son of a Virginia plantation owner. This book includes many historical people, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock, George Rogers Clark, Baron von Steuben & the Marquis de Lafayette. Philip met Gil, the Marquis de Lafayette, in The Bastard when both were teens.

Thank you John Jakes for giving readers an excellent history of the American Revolution. How exciting it must have been to witness the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a sequel to The Bastard and continues the story of Philip Kent, but this time he must share the stage with a new character, Judson Fletcher. This is so author John Jakes can cover all the bases. While Kent is fighting out on the battlefield serving under Washington and Wayne, Fletcher is rubbing elbows with Jefferson and Adams as they hammer out a new country. The problem is once the Declaration of Independence is written, Fletcher outstays his welcome. He no longer serves a purpose to the book and it got to where I simply skipped over the chapters pertaining to his wasted life.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place immediately before and during the American Revolution. Lots of gory details, but that's war. It was a bit slow to read, but I think it gives a good feel of what life was like at the time. Imagine riding horseback alone from Virginia into Pennsylvania and then on foot the last 40 miles or so to Pittsburgh. An encounter with wolves struck me as unlikely since wolves, at least today, go out of their way to avoid humans. The Kentucky rifle, like the one under Paul's bed, was the latest technology. But faced with ravenous wolves provided only a single shot, then became a club in one hand to augment the knife in the other.

[Anne Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept reading

Because after all, I did want to know what happens to Phillip Kent. As a character, he truly did grow on me. The horror of battle is so well written. Best battle scenes ever! But Maybe I should title this review “How to Write a Wastrel” because Judson Fletcher is an exemplar of the type and so well written. And yet, in the end I wanted Judson to succeed at becoming a better person.
For the first third of the book I had decided I didn’t want to continue reading this series. This is it, I told myself. No more. But now, I do believe I will continue. To be continued....

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb action as memorable characters interact with America’s historic founding events

An excellent addition to the series as the 13 original colonies begin to find themselves and decide to work together to found a nation unlike any other on earth. Excesses by King George III and his ministers bring hardships to the colonies and resentment builds into confrontation and then open warfare. An outstanding look at the times and constraints of early days when nearly everything was confined to land east of the Blue Ridge mountains and only a handful of men braved the dangers of travel into the Kaintuck. Well worth the time.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.4) I still love this series but this one just contained so much hardship and fighting that, in comparison to the first one, I didn't enjoy it as much. Reading about battle after battle can get a little boring, although I agree those details are important but I like more stories.

Also Anne's death was so unexpected and abrupt that it didn't sit well with me. I don't like when deaths are so unbelievable that I am just waiting for them to come back chapters later. Still an interesting story of the American Revolution though and the exhaustion the colonists were put through and how bleak the outcome looked until the French joined and they were trained into a real army.

[Leondra Shanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rebels Continue The Story Of Phillip Kent And The American Revolution But It Also Doesn’t Introduces The Story Of Judson Fletcher A Boozing Womanizing Spoiled Virginia Planters Son Who Is A Disappointment To His Authoritative Father Angus Judson’s Goal In Life Is To Be Everything His Father Predicts Him To Be Nothing However When He Realizes He’s Wasted His Life And The Very Last Chance He Has At A Life Things Take A Turn. Phillip Marries Anne Has A Son And The Means To Make Th Dream Of His Own Printing Business A Reality As Soon As The War Is Over However When Phillips Time Is Up He Looses Something Important.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read through the Kent Family Chronicles and am remembering just how much I love the characters.

Though the war is in full swing during this book, Jakes creates an excellent balance of characters who are actively involved in the independence movement and those who find themselves further removed. Though it is frustrating, the character of Judson Fletcher allows for some insight to the political activities of the time.

Though I enjoy The Bastard (Book I) a little more than The Rebels, John Jakes writing remains my favorite example of historical fiction by far.

[Nicole C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was not as good as its predecessor. The bulk of this one focuses on the war, which is integral to the story, and its drag resembles how it must feel in real life to the soldier. So, while that is occasionally tedious, I understand it. However, the introduction of Judson Fletcher seems to muddy the book a bit, especially as his part in the saga doesn't become apparent until the last few pages.

Also, trigger warning for several violent sexual assaults in this one. That also gave it a lower rating.

I will check out the third one just to see what happens.