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The Sins of Fools
William Craig is an American sharpshooter, swimming against his shackles in the wake of a British ship. He’s a breath away from changing the fate of his new country.
Fastidious and brilliant, William was fashioned by Scottish rebels and dead philosophers, whoremongers and caterwauling moonshiners. A wealthy uncle lures him from the wilderness of Maine to the pinnacles of Boston society, where professors and businessmen round out his education in the shadow of an enigma — a lethal, unschooled master of the natural order. Captivated by the influence of his feral mentor, he finds himself involved in the killing of four men in a stately mansion.
William flees to Philadelphia and the arms of a beautiful and treacherous wife, whose tawdry betrayal drives him to the battlefields of the revolution.
The trials of war are illuminating: brave souls clash while boisterous opportunists determine the direction of a nation, beautiful schemers cast artful nets for fortune and station, libertines speculate against the success of the enterprise. He’s roused by the company of great men, and tormented by the loss of his friends and the affection of a percipient murderess.
His last mission frees a patriot from a British prison in New York. Captured in a counterfeit uniform, William is condemned as a spy and sent to England. He'll be tortured and hanged if fate doesn't intervene.
The Sins of Fools is historical fiction with a twist. It weaves grand fiction through the American brawl of the 18th century and subtly introduces the mystery that drives the William Craig series of novels.
Fastidious and brilliant, William was fashioned by Scottish rebels and dead philosophers, whoremongers and caterwauling moonshiners. A wealthy uncle lures him from the wilderness of Maine to the pinnacles of Boston society, where professors and businessmen round out his education in the shadow of an enigma — a lethal, unschooled master of the natural order. Captivated by the influence of his feral mentor, he finds himself involved in the killing of four men in a stately mansion.
William flees to Philadelphia and the arms of a beautiful and treacherous wife, whose tawdry betrayal drives him to the battlefields of the revolution.
The trials of war are illuminating: brave souls clash while boisterous opportunists determine the direction of a nation, beautiful schemers cast artful nets for fortune and station, libertines speculate against the success of the enterprise. He’s roused by the company of great men, and tormented by the loss of his friends and the affection of a percipient murderess.
His last mission frees a patriot from a British prison in New York. Captured in a counterfeit uniform, William is condemned as a spy and sent to England. He'll be tortured and hanged if fate doesn't intervene.
The Sins of Fools is historical fiction with a twist. It weaves grand fiction through the American brawl of the 18th century and subtly introduces the mystery that drives the William Craig series of novels.
438 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2014
147 people want to read
About the author
L.W. Williston
1 book3 followersLW Williston is originally from California. He was raised in the mountains, near Yosemite National Park. His education was paltry, as the nearest school required a bus ride of nearly two hours. A devoted truant, he became a carpenter's apprentice at sixteen. Who could justify sitting in a classroom when another thirty minutes would whisk his old pickup to San Francisco? Wharves and boats, bakeries, legions of pretty girls - school is a poor substitute for life.
Older but apparently not any wiser, Mr. Williston joined the airborne infantry at nineteen. It helped him realize how much he liked being a carpenter. At twenty-seven he began a career as a policeman, which seems random and disparate, but anyone familiar with policemen will attest to their affinity for truancy and pretty girls. Today, he's an organic farmer and author in Kansas and Nova Scotia.
Older but apparently not any wiser, Mr. Williston joined the airborne infantry at nineteen. It helped him realize how much he liked being a carpenter. At twenty-seven he began a career as a policeman, which seems random and disparate, but anyone familiar with policemen will attest to their affinity for truancy and pretty girls. Today, he's an organic farmer and author in Kansas and Nova Scotia.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2014
3.0 of 5 stars – Entertaining Tale of an Independent Revolutionary
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, L.W.!)
It's not often I find a historical fiction set in revolutionary era – and I love both. So I was looking forward to L.W. Williston’s book and indeed found it an enjoyable read.
Williston depicted the people and times very well. His language was styled to reflect the speech of the time, which unfortunately made it cumbersome at times, causing me to pause and reread a passage to make sure I understood. But fortunately it also gave a sense of being there, as does the author’s descriptions of the surroundings and everyday life of the times.
The plot moved along nicely, although a bit slowly at the start. This was maybe partly due to my getting used to the language, but the story picked up when it got into the more familiar events of the time – Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill and on – In this case from the POV of an everyman participant.
While I enjoyed seeing these historical events from the view of a regular revolutionary, the MC, William Craig had a more independent bent, not wanting to join as a regular soldier. This may have been common at the time, but it did keep some events somewhat distanced as Craig stayed on the periphery. Even though he wasn’t your ordinary everyman, I still enjoyed being immersed into the day-to-day of him as a commoner, along with his spying, guiding, sharpshooting and fighting for the colonials’ cause.
All in all, it was an entertaining tale of, ironically, a rather independent revolutionary fighting for American independence.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, L.W.!)
It's not often I find a historical fiction set in revolutionary era – and I love both. So I was looking forward to L.W. Williston’s book and indeed found it an enjoyable read.
Williston depicted the people and times very well. His language was styled to reflect the speech of the time, which unfortunately made it cumbersome at times, causing me to pause and reread a passage to make sure I understood. But fortunately it also gave a sense of being there, as does the author’s descriptions of the surroundings and everyday life of the times.
The plot moved along nicely, although a bit slowly at the start. This was maybe partly due to my getting used to the language, but the story picked up when it got into the more familiar events of the time – Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill and on – In this case from the POV of an everyman participant.
While I enjoyed seeing these historical events from the view of a regular revolutionary, the MC, William Craig had a more independent bent, not wanting to join as a regular soldier. This may have been common at the time, but it did keep some events somewhat distanced as Craig stayed on the periphery. Even though he wasn’t your ordinary everyman, I still enjoyed being immersed into the day-to-day of him as a commoner, along with his spying, guiding, sharpshooting and fighting for the colonials’ cause.
All in all, it was an entertaining tale of, ironically, a rather independent revolutionary fighting for American independence.
April 24, 2014
This is a Goodreads First Reads review.
This is a wonderful novel filled with a great thematic setting and an authentic voice. Following a young man through his life in the lead up to the Revolutionary War with a variety of interesting characters intermixed with real life personalities. This is a definite pick up for anyone interested in early American stories.
This is a wonderful novel filled with a great thematic setting and an authentic voice. Following a young man through his life in the lead up to the Revolutionary War with a variety of interesting characters intermixed with real life personalities. This is a definite pick up for anyone interested in early American stories.
June 17, 2014
Received as a Goodreads giveaway.
Just Brilliant! The tone and cadence of the writing is reminiscent of all the literary greats. Some people cannot read Shakespeare, some may not be able to read this exceptional view of the Revolutionary War. The language is written just as it would have been in the 1770's and I did not realize this until I had reached around page 15. Add to that the fact that you have characters that speak in slang of the Scottish immigrant of the time occasionally and I was completely confused. Once I did adjust to the language however it pulled me right in.
The hero is William Craig, and yes I would call him a hero. I was expecting to read about a man that was a horrible human being after reading several other reviews. That sentiment I found to be completely off. He is a man of honor that follows his own moral code. Such as a woman being raped by a group of soldiers did not do anything wrong when she turns and kills all of them. Others of the time expect her to sit back and not complain. This is a fleeting example, and not written with any details that could offend or bother readers.
The book opens with Wim (what his friends and family call him) jumping off a ship that is transporting him as a British prisoner. Suddenly discovering he missed any hope of another ride he sits back and waits to drown. The rest of the story reads as a series of memories that lay out how he sees his life has turned him into a fool. In his younger years life happens to him and he finds himself being molded by other people around him. He is too smart for his father's family and too independent for his mother's family. The heir of a wealthy uncle he is educated then pulled into the war with the British.
He is extremely intelligent and trained to fight and shoot with bizarre accuracy and calm. Wanting to help the war effort but refusing to follow men that he believes are fools, he becomes an early version of a sharpshooter. The series of his adventures jumping from troop to troop causing havoc where he can spins a captivating story. He follows no mans rules or authority other than his own sense of natural justice.
The chapters are short. If you can make it through the first 5 chapters, or 15 pages, you will love the rest of the book. Just give yourself time to adjust to the language style.
Just Brilliant! The tone and cadence of the writing is reminiscent of all the literary greats. Some people cannot read Shakespeare, some may not be able to read this exceptional view of the Revolutionary War. The language is written just as it would have been in the 1770's and I did not realize this until I had reached around page 15. Add to that the fact that you have characters that speak in slang of the Scottish immigrant of the time occasionally and I was completely confused. Once I did adjust to the language however it pulled me right in.
The hero is William Craig, and yes I would call him a hero. I was expecting to read about a man that was a horrible human being after reading several other reviews. That sentiment I found to be completely off. He is a man of honor that follows his own moral code. Such as a woman being raped by a group of soldiers did not do anything wrong when she turns and kills all of them. Others of the time expect her to sit back and not complain. This is a fleeting example, and not written with any details that could offend or bother readers.
The book opens with Wim (what his friends and family call him) jumping off a ship that is transporting him as a British prisoner. Suddenly discovering he missed any hope of another ride he sits back and waits to drown. The rest of the story reads as a series of memories that lay out how he sees his life has turned him into a fool. In his younger years life happens to him and he finds himself being molded by other people around him. He is too smart for his father's family and too independent for his mother's family. The heir of a wealthy uncle he is educated then pulled into the war with the British.
He is extremely intelligent and trained to fight and shoot with bizarre accuracy and calm. Wanting to help the war effort but refusing to follow men that he believes are fools, he becomes an early version of a sharpshooter. The series of his adventures jumping from troop to troop causing havoc where he can spins a captivating story. He follows no mans rules or authority other than his own sense of natural justice.
The chapters are short. If you can make it through the first 5 chapters, or 15 pages, you will love the rest of the book. Just give yourself time to adjust to the language style.
June 6, 2014
OK, lets get some of the most important things out of the way first:
1) Our main hero here, is an as-hole.
2) But he is an extremely likable narcissistic as-hole at that.
3) And by the end of the book you may end up liking him and may be even rooting for him, for being so true to his as-holeness.
Is this one a good book then? In my opinion, yes. If you are not into linguistics and historical linguistics at that you might be in a little bit of a predicament trying to get used to the phraseology used but it does pay of in regards of the character development.
We have here a very entertaining story of a particular period of USA history some time in the past. As such, language here is different, customs are different and relationship paradigm is different. Never the less, the story is still relatively fast paste read. Good plot, and not always boring, which is good. Knowing that this book is a part of a series, I will be looking for other parts of the series to get my hands on. Special Thank You to the Author for giving me the chance to read this lovely book!
1) Our main hero here, is an as-hole.
2) But he is an extremely likable narcissistic as-hole at that.
3) And by the end of the book you may end up liking him and may be even rooting for him, for being so true to his as-holeness.
Is this one a good book then? In my opinion, yes. If you are not into linguistics and historical linguistics at that you might be in a little bit of a predicament trying to get used to the phraseology used but it does pay of in regards of the character development.
We have here a very entertaining story of a particular period of USA history some time in the past. As such, language here is different, customs are different and relationship paradigm is different. Never the less, the story is still relatively fast paste read. Good plot, and not always boring, which is good. Knowing that this book is a part of a series, I will be looking for other parts of the series to get my hands on. Special Thank You to the Author for giving me the chance to read this lovely book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews