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The Reavers
In Elizabethan England a dastardly Spanish plot to take over the throne is uncovered and it's up to Agent Archie Noble to save Queen and country.
Spoiled, arrogant, filthy rich and breathtakingly beautiful, the young Lady Godiva Dacre is exiled from the court of Good Queen Bess (who can't abide red-haired competition) to her lonely estate in distant Cumberland. But the turbulent Scottish border is the last place for an Elizabethan heiress, beset by ruthless reivers, blackmailing ruffians and fiendish Spanish plotters intent on turning Merrie England into a ghastly European Union province.
And no one to rely on but her half-witted blonde school chum, a rugged English superman with a knack for disaster, a dashing highwayman who looks like Errol Flynn but has a Glasgow accent and the drunkest man in Scotland. MacDonald Fraser admits (nay, insists) that it's a crazy story for readers who love fun for its own sake.
Spoiled, arrogant, filthy rich and breathtakingly beautiful, the young Lady Godiva Dacre is exiled from the court of Good Queen Bess (who can't abide red-haired competition) to her lonely estate in distant Cumberland. But the turbulent Scottish border is the last place for an Elizabethan heiress, beset by ruthless reivers, blackmailing ruffians and fiendish Spanish plotters intent on turning Merrie England into a ghastly European Union province.
And no one to rely on but her half-witted blonde school chum, a rugged English superman with a knack for disaster, a dashing highwayman who looks like Errol Flynn but has a Glasgow accent and the drunkest man in Scotland. MacDonald Fraser admits (nay, insists) that it's a crazy story for readers who love fun for its own sake.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2007
34 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
George MacDonald Fraser
116 books690 followersGeorge MacDonald Fraser is best known for his Flashman series of historical novels, purportedly written by Harry Flashman, a fictional coward and bully originally created by Thomas Hughes in Tom Brown's School Days. The novels are presented as "packets" of memoirs written by the nonagenarian Flashman, who looks back on his days as a hero of the British Army during the 19th century. The series begins with Flashman, and is notable for the accuracy of the historical settings and praise from critics. P.G. Wodehouse said of Flashman, “If ever there was a time when I felt that ‘watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet’ stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 31, 2009
I'm afraid I can't finish this. It feels like I'm slogging through just for the sake of finishing, and I'm trying not to do that any more. The way the anachronisms are inserted is really annoying to me. I can like anachronisms if they're handled differently, like in steampunk... where there's logic to what's being included. This throws in random things just to be funny and random.
I'm also not enjoying the plot. I don't really care about any of the characters and I can't seem to recall what's going on when I close the book.
I've read that Fraser's Flashman novels are much better. Maybe I'll give them a shot at some point. But I'm going to remove my bookmark & return The Reavers to the library.
I'm also not enjoying the plot. I don't really care about any of the characters and I can't seem to recall what's going on when I close the book.
I've read that Fraser's Flashman novels are much better. Maybe I'll give them a shot at some point. But I'm going to remove my bookmark & return The Reavers to the library.
February 14, 2009
A bittersweet read, as it's the last new fiction title I shall ever read by the inimitable Mr. Fraser. I had started reading it shortly after hearing of his death in January 2008, and had to put it aside; the time wasn't right. However, on a sunny August day at the cabin it was the perfect read, and if not up to the best of the Flashman books, or that wonderful romp The Pyrates, it's still vintage Fraser: funny, bawdy, and loving. Farewell, Mr. Fraser.
May 21, 2021
It just goes to show that, sometimes, you shouldn't listen to reviews. I know that's a strange thing to say considering I'm writing a review, but it's true. I'd heard scarcely a positive thing said about The Reavers, the final book by George MacDonald Fraser, and whilst it is true that it is not on par with his other stuff – not least those peerless Flashman books – it is still a cracking little read.
It is, no doubt, a strange one and perhaps this is what has thrown most readers. It is, as Fraser himself admits in the foreword, a piece of 'nonsense'. It has only a sketchy plot comprised of riffs on clichés, two-dimensional characters comprised of the same and a scattergun approach to dialogue, mostly in dialect. In other books, these would all be fatal drawbacks, but The Reavers is nonsense, and fun nonsense at that. Perhaps the best description comes from the blurb (perhaps the only time a book cover has ever been honest and accurate about the pages therein), which suggests Fraser must have "conceived [it] in some kind of fit". This is the same voice that you could hear in the Flashman Papers and his other works, just a bit more unhinged.
Maybe it's because I was raised on a diet of Monty Python and Carry On films, and consequently more in tune with what Fraser was doing here, but The Reavers is a hell of a lot of fun. It is genuinely funny – few of the negative reviews seem to mention this important point – and with all the great phrases and asides that we've come to know and love from this writer. I've always thought that it is the light-hearted stuff that gives you just as great an insight into a writer's mind as the serious stuff, and that's true here. Other Fraser books might mix the fun with compelling characters, adventurous plots and meticulous research, but The Reavers omits all this. It leaves only the fun, so we get to see what Fraser finds funny without all the polish. It might not always be slick, but it's interesting.
But if you're one of those readers who need the writer to do all the work for them, then this certainly isn't for you. It requires application – more, I admit, than a "fun romp" should require – but dedicated Fraser fans will find much of merit. (But, please, don't make this your first George MacDonald Fraser book; it'll put you off the rest.) The pace drags more than a mere 230-page story should, and the dialects – usually a strength of this writer – sometimes require another glance in order to decipher them. But the voice of the writer is still there. It requires tolerance and goodwill to hear it, but once you get onside and ignore the naysayers then you'll be rewarded with a quirky and goofy little read. Just embrace the silliness and don't expect any more than that.
It is, no doubt, a strange one and perhaps this is what has thrown most readers. It is, as Fraser himself admits in the foreword, a piece of 'nonsense'. It has only a sketchy plot comprised of riffs on clichés, two-dimensional characters comprised of the same and a scattergun approach to dialogue, mostly in dialect. In other books, these would all be fatal drawbacks, but The Reavers is nonsense, and fun nonsense at that. Perhaps the best description comes from the blurb (perhaps the only time a book cover has ever been honest and accurate about the pages therein), which suggests Fraser must have "conceived [it] in some kind of fit". This is the same voice that you could hear in the Flashman Papers and his other works, just a bit more unhinged.
Maybe it's because I was raised on a diet of Monty Python and Carry On films, and consequently more in tune with what Fraser was doing here, but The Reavers is a hell of a lot of fun. It is genuinely funny – few of the negative reviews seem to mention this important point – and with all the great phrases and asides that we've come to know and love from this writer. I've always thought that it is the light-hearted stuff that gives you just as great an insight into a writer's mind as the serious stuff, and that's true here. Other Fraser books might mix the fun with compelling characters, adventurous plots and meticulous research, but The Reavers omits all this. It leaves only the fun, so we get to see what Fraser finds funny without all the polish. It might not always be slick, but it's interesting.
But if you're one of those readers who need the writer to do all the work for them, then this certainly isn't for you. It requires application – more, I admit, than a "fun romp" should require – but dedicated Fraser fans will find much of merit. (But, please, don't make this your first George MacDonald Fraser book; it'll put you off the rest.) The pace drags more than a mere 230-page story should, and the dialects – usually a strength of this writer – sometimes require another glance in order to decipher them. But the voice of the writer is still there. It requires tolerance and goodwill to hear it, but once you get onside and ignore the naysayers then you'll be rewarded with a quirky and goofy little read. Just embrace the silliness and don't expect any more than that.
June 18, 2017
It's almost like sacrilege to have to abandon a book by GMF. The Flashman novels elevate the mad to almost god like status. But as the mighty are wont to fall, so it is with The Reavers. I couldn't even get to the plot, I was just so massively turned off by the endless preamble at the start. It's like reading someone's random thoughts with no sense or cohesion to them. I skimmed forward a few pages and found the rest of the novel like this. Sorry, but there's no way I was wading through this. I loved the Flashman books, but this reads like it was written by someone else who should have been sectioned.
February 27, 2011
It takes a lot for me to abandon a book, and even more for me to abandon a book by an author I like. Unfortunately, I just cannot keep going with this.
The humour in George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman Papers" comes from well-constructed plots and characters. The humour in "The Reavers" derives from iconoclasm and deliberate anachronism, which I found enormously tedious. The following paragraph is typical; the setting is early 16th century Scotland:
This is fairly representative of the three or four chapters that I read (they're not numbered, so I'm not entirely sure). The effect is like Blackadder without the wit and sarcasm, or Monty Python without nearly enough absurdity.
I really regret not finishing this; but I have a backlog of things that I actually want to read, and this is holding up the queue.
Not recommended. (obviously)
The humour in George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman Papers" comes from well-constructed plots and characters. The humour in "The Reavers" derives from iconoclasm and deliberate anachronism, which I found enormously tedious. The following paragraph is typical; the setting is early 16th century Scotland:
Their mouths parted with a long, lingering squelch, and through a cinnamon mist in which dark eyes and lambent moustache still glowed, Lady Godiva came to herself and saw, in dishevelled bewilderment, that her erstwhile lip-ravisher was back in his seat with a jeweller's glass screwed in his eye, examining — nay, it could not be! — her priceless necklace (yes, it's the Dacre Diamonds, that fabulous collar nicked by Sir Acre Dacre from the harem of Suleiman the Improbable in the Third Crusade), her emerald earrings, sapphire fillet, pearl brooch, gold rings, and even her platinum zip-fastener, dammit! Dumbstruck Kylie was giving a creditable impersonation of a Black Hole — and now the gorgeous swine was slipping the lot in his pocket and regarding his victim with heavy-breathing admiration. (pages 32–33)
This is fairly representative of the three or four chapters that I read (they're not numbered, so I'm not entirely sure). The effect is like Blackadder without the wit and sarcasm, or Monty Python without nearly enough absurdity.
I really regret not finishing this; but I have a backlog of things that I actually want to read, and this is holding up the queue.
Not recommended. (obviously)
November 10, 2008
How I Came To Read This Book: Harper Collins sent it to me, which makes it the worst HC book I've read unfortunately.
The Plot: Ugh...from what I can remember, there is a princess/heiress/socialite type named Lady Dacre who is travelling along to a new palace or something with her ditzy school chum Kylie. Foiling their plans however, is a plot to capture the current King of Scotland and replacing him with a Spanish imposter, as well as the magical lips of a notorious jewel thief. The book itself is very self-aware and constantly puts in references to modern-day pop culture (I know, it's weird).
The Good & The Bad: I really didn't like this book, mostly cause it's just NOT my thing. I don't like books that are so 'nudge nudge aren't we funny and gay and merry?' since I just find that sort of thing distracting and aggravating. That being said, perhaps some people are familiar with MacDonald Fraser's work and enjoy it...somehow. I barely remember this book - never a good sign - so I don't have much more to say other than I really didn't enjoy it. Quickly scanning the other GoodReads reviews of this book, it seems that I can't even recommend it to fans of GMF's 'Flashman' series as its so poorly constructed in comparsion. Oh bother.
The Bottom Line: Not my taste, methinks.
Anything Memorable?: Fraid not.
50-Book Challenge: Book #44 in 2007
The Plot: Ugh...from what I can remember, there is a princess/heiress/socialite type named Lady Dacre who is travelling along to a new palace or something with her ditzy school chum Kylie. Foiling their plans however, is a plot to capture the current King of Scotland and replacing him with a Spanish imposter, as well as the magical lips of a notorious jewel thief. The book itself is very self-aware and constantly puts in references to modern-day pop culture (I know, it's weird).
The Good & The Bad: I really didn't like this book, mostly cause it's just NOT my thing. I don't like books that are so 'nudge nudge aren't we funny and gay and merry?' since I just find that sort of thing distracting and aggravating. That being said, perhaps some people are familiar with MacDonald Fraser's work and enjoy it...somehow. I barely remember this book - never a good sign - so I don't have much more to say other than I really didn't enjoy it. Quickly scanning the other GoodReads reviews of this book, it seems that I can't even recommend it to fans of GMF's 'Flashman' series as its so poorly constructed in comparsion. Oh bother.
The Bottom Line: Not my taste, methinks.
Anything Memorable?: Fraid not.
50-Book Challenge: Book #44 in 2007
February 8, 2009
What a zany tour de force! Two lovely ladies, a Scotsman, an Englishman, bands of reivers, King James of Scotland, a wizard, and an amorous Amazon pygmy with a blowgun with an eclectic diet are involved in a Spanish plot to kidnap King James (Operation Jimsnatch) somewhere along the Scottish border.
The book abounds in historical fact as well as a continuous blatant stream of anachronisms and inconsistencies. At one point he mentions blooming flowers and then, as an aside (since the story was taking place in February), mentions that it must have been an early spring in 15__. My favorite inconsistency was the accent of one of the Spanish plotters (Frey Bentos). Since he was from southern Europe, Fraser gave him a southern accent-- a southern U.S. accent!
I thought the book was Fraser at his best. Alas, it is his last. I think Fraser sensed this in the final paragraph where the mood changes from humorous to whistful, almost melancholy. It reminded me of the end of my favorite book of his, Mr. American.
As a fan of G.M. Fraser, I really enjoyed this book and it's Pythonesque humor. Readers will need to approach this work with an understanding of British humo(u)r, Glaswegian accent, and British pop and political culture.
The book abounds in historical fact as well as a continuous blatant stream of anachronisms and inconsistencies. At one point he mentions blooming flowers and then, as an aside (since the story was taking place in February), mentions that it must have been an early spring in 15__. My favorite inconsistency was the accent of one of the Spanish plotters (Frey Bentos). Since he was from southern Europe, Fraser gave him a southern accent-- a southern U.S. accent!
I thought the book was Fraser at his best. Alas, it is his last. I think Fraser sensed this in the final paragraph where the mood changes from humorous to whistful, almost melancholy. It reminded me of the end of my favorite book of his, Mr. American.
As a fan of G.M. Fraser, I really enjoyed this book and it's Pythonesque humor. Readers will need to approach this work with an understanding of British humo(u)r, Glaswegian accent, and British pop and political culture.
July 27, 2010
The blurbs on the back cover and Fraser’s own introduction forewarn the reader of the nature of this story – “He admits [nay, insists:] that it’s a crazy story for readers who love fun for its own sake” – so we cannot say that we wasted our time reading it unknowingly. But it’s George Macdonald Fraser ferchrissakes – how bad can it be? Pretty bad, as it turns out. Luckily it was only $5.99 at Munro’s.
Fraser’s Flashman books are one of my favourite series even if they got a little contrived and formulaic towards the end. They were still a fun read. In The Reavers he writes seemingly whatever silly train of thought pops into his head and then still throws in a contrived plot. There seems to be no editing involved. I’m pretty sure this was his last book and it’s unfortunate that it was published at all. Certainly it was a mad indulgence on his part and a greedy effort on his publisher’s part. Remember Flashman – forget The Reavers.
Fraser’s Flashman books are one of my favourite series even if they got a little contrived and formulaic towards the end. They were still a fun read. In The Reavers he writes seemingly whatever silly train of thought pops into his head and then still throws in a contrived plot. There seems to be no editing involved. I’m pretty sure this was his last book and it’s unfortunate that it was published at all. Certainly it was a mad indulgence on his part and a greedy effort on his publisher’s part. Remember Flashman – forget The Reavers.
November 11, 2007
Huge disappointment. Bought this book because I love GMF's Flashman books and thought that this one would have the same humour and adventure. I was wrong.
GMF freely admits that this book "is nonsense" and is meant to be a rebuke "to a generation who has forgotten about fun". And his idea of fun, apparently, is to fill the book with anachronisms.
Anachronistic references are fine (Shakespeare did it and look where it got him) but when every other sentence has a 20th or 21st century nod to it and the book is set in 16th century Britain, it gets tired pretty quick.
The Reavers has 230 pages. I gave up at page 70. I have no problems turning this book into mulch because I sure as heck won't give it away for someone else to read. No one deserves this kind of garbage.
GMF could have written the next Flashman book but instead chose to write this instead. Sad.
GMF freely admits that this book "is nonsense" and is meant to be a rebuke "to a generation who has forgotten about fun". And his idea of fun, apparently, is to fill the book with anachronisms.
Anachronistic references are fine (Shakespeare did it and look where it got him) but when every other sentence has a 20th or 21st century nod to it and the book is set in 16th century Britain, it gets tired pretty quick.
The Reavers has 230 pages. I gave up at page 70. I have no problems turning this book into mulch because I sure as heck won't give it away for someone else to read. No one deserves this kind of garbage.
GMF could have written the next Flashman book but instead chose to write this instead. Sad.
November 16, 2008
Maybe the Flashman books are better, but the Reaver I had to abandon as unreadable. I felt like I was reading the comics page with a large loud person reading over my shoulder, laughing at high volume and thumping my back-- with four arms. Really, if it's funny, i'll laugh on my own, thank you.
I was harshly disappointed because McDonald's chosen weapons of accidental anachronism and incorrect contemporary speech and dialect are the hidden gems of historical romances and are splittingly funny. One that still makes me roll: the Scottish Chief who marries a Scotswoman (proud but tameable, of course) who magically has a French chef from a century and a half later remarks about the creme brulee -- "it is tae die for!" Snorting ensues.
McDonald punches you in the face with every joke on historicity and then reminds you that he made a joke. Tiresome in the extreme.
I was harshly disappointed because McDonald's chosen weapons of accidental anachronism and incorrect contemporary speech and dialect are the hidden gems of historical romances and are splittingly funny. One that still makes me roll: the Scottish Chief who marries a Scotswoman (proud but tameable, of course) who magically has a French chef from a century and a half later remarks about the creme brulee -- "it is tae die for!" Snorting ensues.
McDonald punches you in the face with every joke on historicity and then reminds you that he made a joke. Tiresome in the extreme.
August 12, 2008
George Macdonald Fraser is one of those unbelievably prolific authors who make it look easy (and make me tired). I've treasured his Flashman books -- all 12 of them. If you want a painless way to bone up on your Victorian era history, Flashman is the funniest take on the Victorian period you'll ever find -- and all the history is punctiliously accurate.
Fraser just passed away, leaving The Reavers for his devoted fans as a gift from beyond.
Unfortunately, it's appalling. It's one of those spoofs that has (in this case) 16th-century characters making comments like, "She's more fun than a Macy's parade" -- in other words, speaking as if they were somewhat up-to-date 21st century wits.
I can't stand that kind of anachronism, but there must be people who can. This book is for them. It's very silly and very annoying.
Fraser just passed away, leaving The Reavers for his devoted fans as a gift from beyond.
Unfortunately, it's appalling. It's one of those spoofs that has (in this case) 16th-century characters making comments like, "She's more fun than a Macy's parade" -- in other words, speaking as if they were somewhat up-to-date 21st century wits.
I can't stand that kind of anachronism, but there must be people who can. This book is for them. It's very silly and very annoying.
May 6, 2011
the cover was enticing. I really looked forward to a period piece with humor and entertainment.
what a let down. didn't suit my sense of humor what so ever!!! I read the jacket front and back then was going forward with great anticipation.
the forward was a good example of what followed. it was an ego trip of the biggest kind. then I started the story and by the time I had slogged through the first two chapters I put it down and I won't give it to anyone I like.
I realize the author was just having fun. It felt like he was entertaining himself
however, the jacket says "after twelve gloriously scandalous Flashman novels, the incomparable George MacDonald Fraser.........
I saw the long list of titles and I'm going to find some of them and see if they're the same, similar or stories I might actually read with interest.....can't wait.....
what a let down. didn't suit my sense of humor what so ever!!! I read the jacket front and back then was going forward with great anticipation.
the forward was a good example of what followed. it was an ego trip of the biggest kind. then I started the story and by the time I had slogged through the first two chapters I put it down and I won't give it to anyone I like.
I realize the author was just having fun. It felt like he was entertaining himself
however, the jacket says "after twelve gloriously scandalous Flashman novels, the incomparable George MacDonald Fraser.........
I saw the long list of titles and I'm going to find some of them and see if they're the same, similar or stories I might actually read with interest.....can't wait.....
May 31, 2008
First---what a beautiful cover by John Hendrix. It drew me in despite sound warnings from a couple of friends.
Now, moving on from judging a book by its cover---
I seem to be in a spurt of reading books that don't know when to stop. This is another in that line; a novel that would have been excellent at 150 pages, or well done at 175 pages. Unfortunately, it's more than 250 pages, and the humor (and it IS humorous) gets recycled and stretched far past the breaking point.
If Fraser hadn't been dying of cancer, maybe this would have met with stricter editorial control. That's kind of an non-PC thing to say, but, damn, if you can't be non PC when talking about the works of George MacDonald Fraser, then when the hell can you?
Now, moving on from judging a book by its cover---
I seem to be in a spurt of reading books that don't know when to stop. This is another in that line; a novel that would have been excellent at 150 pages, or well done at 175 pages. Unfortunately, it's more than 250 pages, and the humor (and it IS humorous) gets recycled and stretched far past the breaking point.
If Fraser hadn't been dying of cancer, maybe this would have met with stricter editorial control. That's kind of an non-PC thing to say, but, damn, if you can't be non PC when talking about the works of George MacDonald Fraser, then when the hell can you?
June 9, 2014
I will forever be grateful that I judged this book by it's cover. I'd never heard of George MacDonald Fraser when I saw it on a book sale shelf for $1. I was being rushed - I didn't even have time to read the flap, but the cover looked like fun.
It immediately became one of my favorite books. Colorful, action-packed, and absolutely hilarious, "The Reavers" has become a book I read at least once a year, in lieu of a never-read list numbering in the hundreds.
It immediately became one of my favorite books. Colorful, action-packed, and absolutely hilarious, "The Reavers" has become a book I read at least once a year, in lieu of a never-read list numbering in the hundreds.
June 21, 2014
This book was so bad I could not finish it. In truth, I didn't get past page 15. I only read that far because I had read three of Fraser's Flashman series and liked them enough that I thought the author deserved my best effort. It was a wasted effort.
Read
April 6, 2020I've enjoyed George MacDonald Fraser's work for years now. All the Flashman works, Black Ajax, Mr American, the McAuslan stories. I enjoy his style and his weaving of fictional history into factual history. So it came as a bit of a surprise when I didn't get on with The Reavers at all. An overly silly tale that reads like someone pitching a bad screenplay, badly. It's all full of panto style jokes and silly modern (at least at the time of writing) references that have no place in the story and haven't aged terribly well either. I can tell that George MacDonald Fraser is having a great time writing it but is the reader whilst reading? I don't know. To me it reads like a less saucy novelisation of a Carry On movie
It tells the story of 4 unlikely heroes (Archie - an English spy, Gilderoy - a Scots spy and robber, Lady Godiva - a beautiful noblewomen and Kylie her handmaid) as they end up in the midst of a Spanish plan to replace King James of Scotland with an impostor, who would then take the thrown of England after Elizabeth kicks the bucket. Ordinarily I'd have expected MacDonald Fraser to pull this off with style and even a little grace but not so. It's broad and, criminally, uninteresting. There's no subtlety in this one. Though you will eventually warm to the ridiculousness of its cartoony qualities and characters the initial tone is a bit confusing, feeling half-baked, and the players and environments are so one dimensional that the whole thing feels flat and phony.
If you're a fan of George MacDonald Fraser then I'd imagine this won't be as satisfying as you'd have expected it to be.
I've not read The Pyrates either but this book mentions it in passing and I've a concern that it's written in the same way as this one is. I hope not. I've not got much George MacDonald Fraser left to read and I'd hate to end his stuff on a raspberry.
It tells the story of 4 unlikely heroes (Archie - an English spy, Gilderoy - a Scots spy and robber, Lady Godiva - a beautiful noblewomen and Kylie her handmaid) as they end up in the midst of a Spanish plan to replace King James of Scotland with an impostor, who would then take the thrown of England after Elizabeth kicks the bucket. Ordinarily I'd have expected MacDonald Fraser to pull this off with style and even a little grace but not so. It's broad and, criminally, uninteresting. There's no subtlety in this one. Though you will eventually warm to the ridiculousness of its cartoony qualities and characters the initial tone is a bit confusing, feeling half-baked, and the players and environments are so one dimensional that the whole thing feels flat and phony.
If you're a fan of George MacDonald Fraser then I'd imagine this won't be as satisfying as you'd have expected it to be.
I've not read The Pyrates either but this book mentions it in passing and I've a concern that it's written in the same way as this one is. I hope not. I've not got much George MacDonald Fraser left to read and I'd hate to end his stuff on a raspberry.
January 7, 2019
I am a huge fan of MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman' series of novels, and his MacAuslan stories are a very decent read as well. However this late career standalone book from GMF is simply atrocious. An inchoate mess that strives to be funny with its anachronistic elements, 'The Reavers' reads like a bad Scottish impersonation of the great Irish comic writers like O'Brien, Milligan and Swift.
None of the characters were mildly interesting, the prose generally overwrought to the point of unclear gibberish, and the narrative was so excessively self-conscious it became annoying. I will admit once in a while GMF would wring a smile out of a nicely turned phrase. However they were rare moments and came only after trudging through some very average writing.
One can't criticise MacDonald Fraser for giving it a go with 'The Reavers', and perhaps if it had been written under a pseudonym that enabled the work to stand along from the body of GMF's novels it could have been more acceptable. However when all is said and done I can't recommend this book and will never read again.
None of the characters were mildly interesting, the prose generally overwrought to the point of unclear gibberish, and the narrative was so excessively self-conscious it became annoying. I will admit once in a while GMF would wring a smile out of a nicely turned phrase. However they were rare moments and came only after trudging through some very average writing.
One can't criticise MacDonald Fraser for giving it a go with 'The Reavers', and perhaps if it had been written under a pseudonym that enabled the work to stand along from the body of GMF's novels it could have been more acceptable. However when all is said and done I can't recommend this book and will never read again.
January 6, 2024
Much closer to GMF's Pyrates than to his Flashman series. If you've read Pyrates and didn't like it, especially if you thought it wasn't enough like Flashman -- just walk away from Reavers and don't annoy people with your whiny review. If you did like Pyrates, you shouldn't miss this one - but it won't be quite as good; I get the impression he would have touched up the draft here and there, if he could. But this book is, as GMF intended and warns: Over the top. Or would that be: O'er the Toppe? (I tyhnke th' latter.)
February 13, 2023
Originally reviewed on my LibraryThing account:
By and large, this is the worst book I've ever bothered to finish. And I think I only bothered to finish it because it kept promising that it might turn into something good.
It never did.
If you're looking for something genuinely humorous and that manages to also work in some modern day satire, I would suggest anything by Terry Pratchett. Leave this book on the shelf.
By and large, this is the worst book I've ever bothered to finish. And I think I only bothered to finish it because it kept promising that it might turn into something good.
It never did.
If you're looking for something genuinely humorous and that manages to also work in some modern day satire, I would suggest anything by Terry Pratchett. Leave this book on the shelf.
April 30, 2023
Oh my! I have never been on an acid trip much less a bad one, but I think this is what it would be like! Even with the author preparing us for this nonsense - reference his first sentence of the forward - I was still unprepared for the chaos, bizarre anachronisms, the never ending adjectives (seemed like more than Roget's Thesaurus!). I kept waiting for a thread and ultimately gave up. It's my kind of genre but apparently not my style of fantasy.
December 17, 2023
Continuing a theme of strange books of the ilk I’ve never read before comes this one. If I had to describe it, I guess I’d say it’s a an attempt at a comedic Broadway play in book form. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my type of humor. Interesting book, just wasn’t really my style.
November 19, 2017
Laugh out loud British humor in the vein of P.G. Wodehose and Jerome K. Jerome
July 6, 2018
Just pure comic nonsense. I loved it.
November 14, 2018
Feels like a Carry On film. Kind of funny in parts but nothing to write home about.
July 10, 2019
Loved the Flashman papers. This... not so much
January 20, 2020
hilarious
July 16, 2021
I really enjoyed the story, but reading and comprehending, with all the run-on sentences, accented dialogue, and endless references took a lot of concentration!
November 16, 2021
Too silly, but the ballad on page 246 goes a long way towards making up for this silliness.
February 3, 2025
Very, very broad James Bond spoof set in the Elizabethan Scottish Marches.
Not what I expected - it's nothing like the Flashman novels.
Not what I expected - it's nothing like the Flashman novels.
April 28, 2025
That made my brain go noodle. First I think it’s taking place in 1590, then he’s mentioning Warner Bros
I did scoff out loud a handful of times
I did scoff out loud a handful of times
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