Johnny Reb

Casca #26

by Tony Roberts

Civil War breaks out and Casca becomes entangled in the struggle between the North and South. Taking the Rebel side he fights for a free Virginia, as well as for the woman he loves. But soon he finds molding a bunch of raw recruits into a fighting force is more of a struggle than he had realized. And soon he finds himself fighting not only the Northern Army, but also one of his own men that is intent on killing him. And there is an unseen but deadly familiar enemy close at hand who will stop at nothing to kill those dear to him and imprison him for all eternity!

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

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Reviews

[Daniel Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second installment of the Casca American war trilogy by Tony Roberts (Books #25,26,27), Casca has remained on the Virginia McGuire Farm for many years after the Mexican War. As conflict and succession loom in the community of Lynchburg, Casca, hardly a proponent of slavery, joins the Confederacy because of his respect for the Southern belief in States rights over those rights of the Federal Government. He also respects many of his contemporaries such as James Longstreet and Robert E. Lee whom he fought with in their younger days in Mexico.

Casca becomes a father figure to Billy the young son of Ann McGuire and Sean Brady. Billy joins Casca in the Confederate Army and they fight together during some of the most massive and brutal campaigns on the eastern front of the War's first half. Casca also is aware that the Brotherhood of the lamb are still pursuing him and he continually worries for the lives of the McGuire Family.

I liked this installment more than Halls of Montezuma. Having such monumental figures from History grace the story such as George B. McClellan, Lee, Longstreet, Hill, Stonewall Jackson, Joe Johnston and others help add weight and character to the narrative. Casca doesn't have to stand alone this time among many paper thin characters in the plotline.

A worthy addition to Barry Sadler's vision for the Eternal Mercenary.

[Mark K Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for a civil war story

I am not a civil war fan, being an Alaskan, but it was a good book. I had read about it in History class, but this book made it more real.

[Nicholas · Rating 1 out of 5]

26 books in this series, and this is so far *the* worst of them. This isn't a Casca story so much as it is a poorly constructed, dully recounted telling of bits of the Slaver's Insurrection (i.e., The Civil War) written from the point of view of a Confederate sympathizer with some history books.

When the author *does* bother to get back to the story part of this book, he does so in a way that makes you think he's got a Bad Writing Cliché checklist right there next to his keyboard. Villains who might as well be described as twirling their mustaches, a nagging spurned love interest who carries the idiot ball for several touchdowns (and gets brainwashed largely by having sex), and ubiquitous, nigh-omniscient bad guys who are getting *far* too much screen time with no personality or even clever dialogue.

If you've read the Casca books, you know the stories are not presented in chronological order, which is fine. It's also something this author has decided to dispense with since he's telling one long, incredibly dull story over at least three books. If I want to read a trilogy or ongoing story, I'd go read the Lord of the Rings or the Wheel of Time or some such. I read the Casca novels for pulpy man-fiction with decent action scenes and familiar beats, not some pixel-picking recounting of some guy's stupid tactical recreation wargame exploits.

But that's exactly what this (and the first part in the previous novel) reads like. Frankly, I'm not looking forward to the next one. And if the poor handling of the franchise continues after that one, I may have to abandon the series.

[Jeff Feltman · Rating 4 out of 5]

more Brotherhood than I am used to but all in all a great read

[Charles "Jerry" Butts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading!!