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Sunfire #17
Sabrina
To be a Patriot must she betray the man she loves? Her country asks her to risk her life. Can she find the courage to do it?
In 1780, the Revolutionary War still rages violently, especially in Charleston, South Carolina, where orphaned, 16-year-old Sabrina Robbins lives and works in her uncle's shop. Sabrina, a staunch Patriot, is in love with Martin Cresswell, a handsome Tory. Even though they are on opposite sides politically, Sabrina believes their love can survive. But when she meets Richard Taylor, a brave but arrogant Patriot spy, she is confused. How can she be so attracted to Richard, if she loves Martin?
When Sabrina's uncle becomes ill, Sabrina has to take over his role in the spy ring, even though doing so means betraying Martin, and risking her own life. She knows that Richard thinks some things—freedom and love—are worth any risks. But will she find the courage to fight for freedom and choose between the two men who love her?
In 1780, the Revolutionary War still rages violently, especially in Charleston, South Carolina, where orphaned, 16-year-old Sabrina Robbins lives and works in her uncle's shop. Sabrina, a staunch Patriot, is in love with Martin Cresswell, a handsome Tory. Even though they are on opposite sides politically, Sabrina believes their love can survive. But when she meets Richard Taylor, a brave but arrogant Patriot spy, she is confused. How can she be so attracted to Richard, if she loves Martin?
When Sabrina's uncle becomes ill, Sabrina has to take over his role in the spy ring, even though doing so means betraying Martin, and risking her own life. She knows that Richard thinks some things—freedom and love—are worth any risks. But will she find the courage to fight for freedom and choose between the two men who love her?
219 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
240 people want to read
About the author
Candice F. Ransom
43 books11 followersSee also
Candice Ransom
Ransom has published more than 150 books for children, and she is amazed every day that she's able to do this as her life's work. It's no small thing to discover at an early age (ten!) what one is meant to do, and then pursue that dream. For her, the best part of writing for children is that she can move between writing board books, picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, nonfiction, and biography. She is excited to move into picture book nonfiction with BONES IN THE WHITE HOUSE: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S MAMMOTH (Doubleday, 2020).
AMANDA PANDA QUITS KINDERGARTEN and the sequel AMANDA PANDA AND THE BIGGER, BETTER BIRTHDAY (Doubleday) are her first picture books with animal characters! She is proud of her easy readers featuring a brother and sister having fun throughout the year: PUMPKIN DAY, APPLE PICKING DAY, SNOW DAY, and GARDEN DAY. Look for more titles in this Level 1 series written in bouncy rhyme, plus the popular TOOTH FAIRY'S NIGHT (all Random House).
Ransom has published more than 150 books for children, and she is amazed every day that she's able to do this as her life's work. It's no small thing to discover at an early age (ten!) what one is meant to do, and then pursue that dream. For her, the best part of writing for children is that she can move between writing board books, picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, nonfiction, and biography. She is excited to move into picture book nonfiction with BONES IN THE WHITE HOUSE: THOMAS JEFFERSON'S MAMMOTH (Doubleday, 2020).
AMANDA PANDA QUITS KINDERGARTEN and the sequel AMANDA PANDA AND THE BIGGER, BETTER BIRTHDAY (Doubleday) are her first picture books with animal characters! She is proud of her easy readers featuring a brother and sister having fun throughout the year: PUMPKIN DAY, APPLE PICKING DAY, SNOW DAY, and GARDEN DAY. Look for more titles in this Level 1 series written in bouncy rhyme, plus the popular TOOTH FAIRY'S NIGHT (all Random House).
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 7, 2008
(This is officially a 3.5 star rating. I want half stars, dangit!)
The Sunfire Re-Read plunges steadily on! After a long string of Vivian Schurfranz, (I just decided to get her out of the way) I was looking forward to this one! I love the Revolutionary War! I love Charleston! Did this one deliver?
Thankfully, it did! Not flawless, but definitely one of the better short-format Sunfires. Sabrina Robbins, orphaned at a young age, now lives in Charleston and works in her uncle's apothecary shop. She's not treated unkindly, but it's pretty clear that she's the "poor relation." Her cousin Mercy is the pretty, popular one with the fancy clothes and the finishing school, and Sabrina is... actually kind of funny-looking. (Please ignore the cover, on which poor Sabrina looks TWELVE. No, they didn't marry 'em off quite THAT young.)
The only person who makes her feel special is Martin Cresswell, who wants to marry her. But he's a Tory. And Sabrina is a diehard Patriot. They kind of ignorantly assume that this won't eventually come between them and go about their merry courting business.
Charleston is attacked and conquered by the British, and the cracks in Sabrina's life get a little deeper. Her uncle, who depends on her quite a bit already, has to ask Sabrina to take his place in the Patriot spy ring when he becomes too ill to work. His contact is a surly backwoodsman named Richard Taylor, to whom Sabrina finds herself increasingly drawn.
Ransom's writing is actually quite nice in this novel. She sometimes disappoints, but her characterization is pretty well done this time around, and some of her diction is wonderful. (In particular, Sabrina's first impression of Richard is full of lovely descriptions- he "deals his words like playing cards" and she subconsciously compares him to wild animals.) And we're told all we need to know about the oppositional characters of Mercy and Sabrina in one passage describing their childhood embroidery samplers. Nice.
It's probably bias towards a setting I personally find interesting that makes me give this book three and a half stars. It's not without its flaws. The plot hinges a little too much on coincidence- the injured Patriot that Martin risks his life to help just happens to be Mercy's secret sweetheart! And Sabrina, on a spy mission, gets into trouble right underneath a tree in which Richard happens to be hiding!
The character of Martin, rather than becoming an easily-tossed-aside jerk, is instead richly complex. His conflicted loyalties don't leave him with a lot of options. He's such a *good* guy that you're sad to see him part from Sabrina. They could have easily ended up together if circumstances had been different, which lends an extra poignancy to Sabrina's romantic choice.
I can't help but wish that Sabrina and Richard's relationship had a little more time to gel. They just snipe at each other for a while, and are attracted, and then they are suddenly in love. The shorter Sunfires often demonstrate that the authors had some problems fitting their story into 220 or so pages.
The last chapter is pretty eyeroll-worthy, since it centers on Sabrina's supposed mastery of the swamps and rivers around Charleston. She lived out there for the first eight years of her life and hasn't left Charleston since. Realistically speaking, there is no way that she is as familiar with them as she is at the end of the novel. And I could have done without the last-minute celebrity encounter.
Verdict: It's one of the better short Sunfires, for sure, despite the wonky cover art (she seriously looks WAY too young) and the plot goofinesses that subtract a star and a half.
The Sunfire Re-Read plunges steadily on! After a long string of Vivian Schurfranz, (I just decided to get her out of the way) I was looking forward to this one! I love the Revolutionary War! I love Charleston! Did this one deliver?
Thankfully, it did! Not flawless, but definitely one of the better short-format Sunfires. Sabrina Robbins, orphaned at a young age, now lives in Charleston and works in her uncle's apothecary shop. She's not treated unkindly, but it's pretty clear that she's the "poor relation." Her cousin Mercy is the pretty, popular one with the fancy clothes and the finishing school, and Sabrina is... actually kind of funny-looking. (Please ignore the cover, on which poor Sabrina looks TWELVE. No, they didn't marry 'em off quite THAT young.)
The only person who makes her feel special is Martin Cresswell, who wants to marry her. But he's a Tory. And Sabrina is a diehard Patriot. They kind of ignorantly assume that this won't eventually come between them and go about their merry courting business.
Charleston is attacked and conquered by the British, and the cracks in Sabrina's life get a little deeper. Her uncle, who depends on her quite a bit already, has to ask Sabrina to take his place in the Patriot spy ring when he becomes too ill to work. His contact is a surly backwoodsman named Richard Taylor, to whom Sabrina finds herself increasingly drawn.
Ransom's writing is actually quite nice in this novel. She sometimes disappoints, but her characterization is pretty well done this time around, and some of her diction is wonderful. (In particular, Sabrina's first impression of Richard is full of lovely descriptions- he "deals his words like playing cards" and she subconsciously compares him to wild animals.) And we're told all we need to know about the oppositional characters of Mercy and Sabrina in one passage describing their childhood embroidery samplers. Nice.
It's probably bias towards a setting I personally find interesting that makes me give this book three and a half stars. It's not without its flaws. The plot hinges a little too much on coincidence- the injured Patriot that Martin risks his life to help just happens to be Mercy's secret sweetheart! And Sabrina, on a spy mission, gets into trouble right underneath a tree in which Richard happens to be hiding!
The character of Martin, rather than becoming an easily-tossed-aside jerk, is instead richly complex. His conflicted loyalties don't leave him with a lot of options. He's such a *good* guy that you're sad to see him part from Sabrina. They could have easily ended up together if circumstances had been different, which lends an extra poignancy to Sabrina's romantic choice.
I can't help but wish that Sabrina and Richard's relationship had a little more time to gel. They just snipe at each other for a while, and are attracted, and then they are suddenly in love. The shorter Sunfires often demonstrate that the authors had some problems fitting their story into 220 or so pages.
The last chapter is pretty eyeroll-worthy, since it centers on Sabrina's supposed mastery of the swamps and rivers around Charleston. She lived out there for the first eight years of her life and hasn't left Charleston since. Realistically speaking, there is no way that she is as familiar with them as she is at the end of the novel. And I could have done without the last-minute celebrity encounter.
Verdict: It's one of the better short Sunfires, for sure, despite the wonky cover art (she seriously looks WAY too young) and the plot goofinesses that subtract a star and a half.
August 26, 2013
Talking about favorite childhood books led me to see what unread Sunfire books I could track down through ILL. Fun times! Sabrina is set in Charleston 1780, which delighted me utterly, because I just got back from there. I recognized street names and areas!
Points for a super fun spy substory, with Sabrina getting in on the spy action, and the fact that the Tory love interest was not presented as a bad guy - he just had a different viewpoint. Neat.
Points for a super fun spy substory, with Sabrina getting in on the spy action, and the fact that the Tory love interest was not presented as a bad guy - he just had a different viewpoint. Neat.
June 28, 2016
*Rereading my way through the Sunfire series, in publication order*
Sabrina Robbins lives with her uncle, aunt, and spoiled cousin Mercy in Charleston at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The orphaned Sabrina makes do with second-hand dresses and works in her uncle's apothecary shop, but is furious at the encroachment of the British on her beloved Charleston and dismayed that so many citizens, including Uncle Phineas, have taken the loyalty oath. But there's more to her uncle than meets the eye. As a Patriot spy, he hides behind the safety of the oath and uses Sabrina's relationship with her handsome Tory sweetheart, Martin Cresswell, to pass information on to the Patriots. When illness confines Uncle Phineas to bed, Sabrina takes over his clandestine business, guiltily guiding Martin to reveal troop movements, and then passing it along to Richard Taylor, a young, arrogant backwoodsman who carries the messages to Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion. Torn between guilt over her deception of Martin and excitement over allying herself to a cause she feels strongly about, Sabrina must make a decision that satisfies both her heart and her spirit.
As a historical YA, this was soundly written. Sabrina felt well-placed in her time, not as overtly rebellious as many of her Sunfire counterparts, with a satisfying dash of family loyalty. Her conflict was palpable, as following her conscience one way leads to betraying her sweetheart, and follow the conscience the other way leads to betraying the country she longs America to be. The romance is almost a distraction and felt shoe-horned in. Other than the occasional "he's sorta cute" on Sabrina's end, she doesn't think much of Richard Taylor as other than an annoying but trusted comrade in spy-craft. She's very devoted to Martin and, as he gradually starts shifting his own political ideologies, confident that they can have a future without conflict. But everything changes in the last thirty pages of the book. Without any buildup, I mean, that's a lot that suddenly happens. It's as though Candice F. Ransom suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be writing a romance. It felt shoehorned in and compromised the wonderful independence that she'd built up for Sabrina over the course of the book. Worth a read as a nice historical novel, but skip the ending and instead imagine Sabrina ditching both guys in favor of opening her own apothecary shop. The British forbid it, but after she helps to win the war, she'll find a way.
Sabrina Robbins lives with her uncle, aunt, and spoiled cousin Mercy in Charleston at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The orphaned Sabrina makes do with second-hand dresses and works in her uncle's apothecary shop, but is furious at the encroachment of the British on her beloved Charleston and dismayed that so many citizens, including Uncle Phineas, have taken the loyalty oath. But there's more to her uncle than meets the eye. As a Patriot spy, he hides behind the safety of the oath and uses Sabrina's relationship with her handsome Tory sweetheart, Martin Cresswell, to pass information on to the Patriots. When illness confines Uncle Phineas to bed, Sabrina takes over his clandestine business, guiltily guiding Martin to reveal troop movements, and then passing it along to Richard Taylor, a young, arrogant backwoodsman who carries the messages to Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion. Torn between guilt over her deception of Martin and excitement over allying herself to a cause she feels strongly about, Sabrina must make a decision that satisfies both her heart and her spirit.
As a historical YA, this was soundly written. Sabrina felt well-placed in her time, not as overtly rebellious as many of her Sunfire counterparts, with a satisfying dash of family loyalty. Her conflict was palpable, as following her conscience one way leads to betraying her sweetheart, and follow the conscience the other way leads to betraying the country she longs America to be. The romance is almost a distraction and felt shoe-horned in. Other than the occasional "he's sorta cute" on Sabrina's end, she doesn't think much of Richard Taylor as other than an annoying but trusted comrade in spy-craft. She's very devoted to Martin and, as he gradually starts shifting his own political ideologies, confident that they can have a future without conflict. But everything changes in the last thirty pages of the book. Without any buildup, I mean, that's a lot that suddenly happens. It's as though Candice F. Ransom suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be writing a romance. It felt shoehorned in and compromised the wonderful independence that she'd built up for Sabrina over the course of the book. Worth a read as a nice historical novel, but skip the ending and instead imagine Sabrina ditching both guys in favor of opening her own apothecary shop. The British forbid it, but after she helps to win the war, she'll find a way.
August 22, 2015
Words or praise cannot express this absolutely spectacular book. I wish there was a sequel. I read this book in grade 11. We had to read a book of our choosing and make a game to it. It was so fun :) Of course I went too overboard with the project and I lost marks for being too creative. Apparently I also made it too complicated a game to play. Even though it was simple as pie. Teacher didn't know what she was talking about :) Anyway this novel never bored me at all, it's one of my favorite books. I've also read this about 100 times.
September 5, 2008
I remember reading this back in like the 6th grade or something, and I absolutely loved it. It was part of a young adult historical fiction series. Sabrina was torn between two loves...a soldier with the Continental Army and a soldier with the British Army. I've thought about this book many times. I honestly believe my fundamental knowledge of The Revolutionary War came from this book (and Johnny Tremain, of course). I wish it weren't out of print. I'd love to read it again!
May 26, 2015
First short Sunfire I read, and my favorite short Sunfire. Partly because it was set in South Carolina, and partly because all of the other short Sunfires weren't that detailed. Although this one didn't develop the characters to much, the details about the Revolution and the part where Sabrina is on the river is pretty good. I do wish that the romance was more developed, but that was alright. Anyway, this book was pretty good.
October 7, 2012
I loved the sunfire romances series as a teen. So when I found this copy at an used bookstore I had to buy it. They are so rare to come by because I believe that many do not give up this series. They are that good. Sabrina was a ray of sunshine to read. I love historical fiction and this one was just icing to the cake. A great read and a find.
August 21, 2012
I am continuing my reading/rereading of the Sunfires. Again, I thought the history was interesting. In this case, the characters and romance were not given as much attention. This is a bit shorter than some of the rest of the series. It was a very quick read.
August 13, 2016
Sabrina is totally a swamp expert. Well, except for the part when she jumps out of her boat into alligator-infested waters. Or when she gets hopelessly tangled in vines. Or when she trudges through the swamp barefoot. Oh well, at least dreamy Richard is there to save the day.
February 7, 2010
The best part of this whole book is where a prelude to a kiss is the two romantic heroes admiring each other's ("topaz" and "aquamarine") eyes.
February 25, 2010
This book is okay. Not great, but pretty good.
August 12, 2019
i want 2 own it!!!
March 29, 2016
Historical Romances for Teenagers, these books started my interest in the actual history behind the stories.
January 3, 2021
3.5 on re-read. nostalgia because I loved this book as a teenager
May 3, 2015
Fine book. Not one of my favorites but I enjoyed the historical info of SC during the Revolutionary War. The little twist with one of the main men at the end caught me off guard, which I liked.
November 8, 2015
Not my sort of thing - even as a YA romance from the 80s I got exasperated with it. Never mind - you live and learn!
May 21, 2013
I read this books years ago when I was a teen. LOVED it
January 14, 2026
I loved this book! Not only because it was historical romance, but I really liked how the author showed just how much the Americans suffered and sacrificed to have Liberty & Justice for all! I loved how it showed a different perspective of the revolutionary war, and how much everyone gave to be free. I also loved how it told about the British Prison ships and the treatment there, through the story of Lewis Prideau. It was amazing how much I learned!
Overall, I loved how this book was a whole new perspective on the American Revolutionary War, and how it told it all truthfully.
5/5 Stars and I totally recommend it!
Overall, I loved how this book was a whole new perspective on the American Revolutionary War, and how it told it all truthfully.
5/5 Stars and I totally recommend it!
November 19, 2023
I vaguely remember reading this book as a teen, but all of the details have pretty much been lost so it was like reading it for the first time. I ended up really liking this one. Sabrina was an interesting character, and I enjoyed her perspective of the American Revolution as a Charleston resident. There is always a love triangle in these books and this one was done fairly well for this series. I liked all of the historical events that we get to read about as Sabrina tries to help her uncle in his apothecary shop. All in all, a good book and a good example of this series.
July 23, 2017
This, miraculously, was not the worst Sunfire novel I've ever read. It's not fantastic, and both the love interests seem to be assholes for most of the book, but Sabrina herself is an actual interesting character. Is it the best? No. Is it the worst? Very far from it. And that's very high praise indeed for a Sunfire novel.
For my full review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2017/04...
For my full review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2017/04...
July 11, 2025
Anyone who follows me will notice that my obsession with the Sunfire series continues! This was one of the better ones, though I felt that one of the relationships could have built just a bit more. There was even an incredibly brief acknowledgement of the colonists stealing Native American land! Not super deep, but pleasantly surprising. Overall fun, and I will continue to read as many of these as I can find.
July 26, 2018
The American Revolution.
August 12, 2018
Nostalgia read- This was always one of my favorite books of the series. I loved Sabrina’s courage and determination. She finds her place in the war and wins the heart of a brave man.
July 3, 2017
I originally read this series back in the 80s, checking them out from my elementary school library. Having re-read them as an adult I think they stand the test of time and are still relevant as far as historical fiction is concerned.
March 9, 2024
Having read this book twice ten years apart, I found that I wasn’t as fond of it the second time. Sabrina isn’t a very strong character and honestly not a good choice for the circumstances she becomes entangled in.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews