What do you think?
Rate this book
The Adventures of Ace Carroway #1
Ace Carroway and the Great War
When the Great War breaks out, Cecilia Carroway lies about her age and enlists as a pilot. She earns her Ace nickname, but she's shot down behind enemy lines and imprisoned. She meets five motley fellow prisoners Quack, Bert, Sam, Tombstone, and Gooper. Escape is hard enough, but Ace won’t go without sabotaging the enemy’s war machine. Add in Minister of Technology Darko Dor’s plan to kidnap Ace, and Ace Carroway’s chances of survival drop to zero. So. ... about average. Cliffhangers. Airships. 1920s retro. Fistfights. Female protagonist kicking bottom. Quirky multinational sidekicks. Clipped sentences. Outrageous accents. Dogfights. Daring escapes. Pole vaulting. Ace Carroway and the Great War is the first in the Ace Carroway adventure novella series. Content teen.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2017
3 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Guy Worthey
11 books82 followersWyoming native Guy Worthey traded spurs and lassos for telescopes and computers when he decided to pursue astrophysics. Whenever he temporarily escapes the gravitational pull of stars and galaxies, he writes fiction, now in the slightly less rectangular state of Washington.
He plays jazz bass and happily stretches genre boundaries to find common musical ground with his classical violinist wife Diane.
A beacon of inclusivity in a fractured world, he likes both cats and dogs. Creamed eggs on toast is the earthy name of his favorite food, but once in a while he samples the celestial delights of chocolate.
He plays jazz bass and happily stretches genre boundaries to find common musical ground with his classical violinist wife Diane.
A beacon of inclusivity in a fractured world, he likes both cats and dogs. Creamed eggs on toast is the earthy name of his favorite food, but once in a while he samples the celestial delights of chocolate.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 3, 2019
This is the first of Mr. Worthey's books I have read, but it will not be the last. This is a book about war, which I enjoyed and found entertaining. The main character is a young girl named Ace Carroway. She has skills, knowledge, and an aptitude way ahead of her age. She is likeable and won the hearts of all those around her.
She is a fighter pilot and her plane is shot down by the enemy, the Ottoman's. While in prison she meets other prisoners who are all male. They plan their escape using their various strengths, knowledge, and wit.
As I read the book, I had flashbacks when I was a child reading comic books. I look forward to reading book 2.
She is a fighter pilot and her plane is shot down by the enemy, the Ottoman's. While in prison she meets other prisoners who are all male. They plan their escape using their various strengths, knowledge, and wit.
As I read the book, I had flashbacks when I was a child reading comic books. I look forward to reading book 2.
March 19, 2018
Cecilia Carroway has become an ace pilot fighting with the Allies in World War I, but she gets shot down behind enemy lines and is taken prisoner. She and a misfit crew of other Allied prisoners will have to find a way to escape, and she's determined to do some damage along the way in Ace Carroway and the Great War by author Guy Worthey.
Well! I wanted something different with this book, and that's what I got: maybe a mix of alternate history and a bit of a steampunk sci-fi adventure. Can't say I pinned down the right genres, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novella nonetheless.
It kind of reminded me of a top-notch 60s movie, The Great Escape, in some ways. There's something old-fashioned about the style, and the story deals with a serious war without taking itself too seriously, but also without being a mere joke. I could laugh at some parts, while other parts hit me in the gut.
And as for Ace. She is one bad, bad chick. Capable, competent, compassionate, commanding. Doesn't make a show of being arrogant, doesn't make a show of being modest. She's almost too perfect, but she's got a weakness or two, and you can tell she's human. Ace and the odd, multicultural bunch of prisoners she teams up with didn't take long to grow on me.
Also, given that Ace is the only woman in her Allied crew, it would've been the "easy thing" to turn the crew's scenario into something sexual, and I'm pretty sure the characters are aware of it, somewhere in their minds. But they don't go there, plain and simple. This story doesn't need it, wouldn't have had convincing time for it anyway, so I appreciate that it wasn't just thrown in for conspicuous kicks.
I understand there are further Adventures of Ace Carroway to come. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for 'em.
Well! I wanted something different with this book, and that's what I got: maybe a mix of alternate history and a bit of a steampunk sci-fi adventure. Can't say I pinned down the right genres, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novella nonetheless.
It kind of reminded me of a top-notch 60s movie, The Great Escape, in some ways. There's something old-fashioned about the style, and the story deals with a serious war without taking itself too seriously, but also without being a mere joke. I could laugh at some parts, while other parts hit me in the gut.
And as for Ace. She is one bad, bad chick. Capable, competent, compassionate, commanding. Doesn't make a show of being arrogant, doesn't make a show of being modest. She's almost too perfect, but she's got a weakness or two, and you can tell she's human. Ace and the odd, multicultural bunch of prisoners she teams up with didn't take long to grow on me.
Also, given that Ace is the only woman in her Allied crew, it would've been the "easy thing" to turn the crew's scenario into something sexual, and I'm pretty sure the characters are aware of it, somewhere in their minds. But they don't go there, plain and simple. This story doesn't need it, wouldn't have had convincing time for it anyway, so I appreciate that it wasn't just thrown in for conspicuous kicks.
I understand there are further Adventures of Ace Carroway to come. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for 'em.
May 17, 2019
Cecilia “Ace” Carroway is a 16-year-old pilot during World War One. Her story starts quickly with a thrilling air-battle, but Ace ends up a prisoner when her plane is shot down. That minor detail doesn’t seem to bother Ace, which is why I came to appreciate this character’s spunk. Ace is not only likable but way ahead of her male counterparts. Leadership seems natural to Ace and her much older POWs put their trust in her. This is an exciting read full of vivid details and humor meant for young adults, but I equally enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series!
September 25, 2018
This was such an enjoyable adventure! Ace Carroway is a character I rooted for through the whole book, and even the other characters that join her later in her adventure are quite well-developed, accents and all. This is a fast-paced, action-packed novel that moved quite swiftly, and it was easy to simply keep on reading without wanting to put it down.
I'd love to read more books starring this character!
I'd love to read more books starring this character!
January 19, 2018
Short, sweet, riveting and fun! Loved it!
August 2, 2020
Author Guy Worthey Scott puts one tough girl in a plane, shooting down the enemies, and relying on her guile to get her through the challenges of war. Cecilia “Ace” Carroway is a 16-year-old who lied about her age and joined the Allies in World War I as a pilot. The excitement begins immediately with an unexpected end to an air battle. She ends up a POW when her plane is shot down. Ace’s story starts quickly with a thrilling air-battle, but she ends up a prisoner when her plane is shot down.
The writing is delightful with its face-paced delivery. It was impossible to stop reading before the end. The scene with Ace taking her plane down in enemy territory highlighted her spunk. It was here I became a fan.
“The engine seemed to purr for a while, then sputtered to a halt. “Dry as dust,” Ace groaned in the abrupt quiet.
“My fuel tank must have been holed.”
Ace looked around. The twin-engine Ottoman had dropped a lot of altitude. It swooped back toward the airship hangars and the accompanying airbase.
Without any push from the engine, her SPAD was a poor glider. The enemy landing strip was her only option. Ace banked toward it. Her Ottoman quarry banked unsteadily to and fro. Short of the landing strip, its gyrations ended in a dive. It plummeted straight into the ground, erupting in an inferno of burning gasoline.
Ace winced. “I must’ve nicked the pilot.”
She could already see trucks and soldiers fanning out below her.
As a point of pride, Ace made a perfect landing. As a matter of survival, she raised both hands high in the air as forty armed soldiers surrounded her.”
Author Worthey does a masterful job at detailing the 1920’s as he paints the story. There is a mixture of emotions as he takes us from chuckling to gasping as Ace becomes the leader of a motley group of men who hold her in the highest regard. Ace keeps many steps ahead of every situation in a believable manner. She is not perfect, but darn close
I recommend this story to young teens and women who love quick-witted adventure. I look forward to trying more of the stories in this series. A definite keeper.
The writing is delightful with its face-paced delivery. It was impossible to stop reading before the end. The scene with Ace taking her plane down in enemy territory highlighted her spunk. It was here I became a fan.
“The engine seemed to purr for a while, then sputtered to a halt. “Dry as dust,” Ace groaned in the abrupt quiet.
“My fuel tank must have been holed.”
Ace looked around. The twin-engine Ottoman had dropped a lot of altitude. It swooped back toward the airship hangars and the accompanying airbase.
Without any push from the engine, her SPAD was a poor glider. The enemy landing strip was her only option. Ace banked toward it. Her Ottoman quarry banked unsteadily to and fro. Short of the landing strip, its gyrations ended in a dive. It plummeted straight into the ground, erupting in an inferno of burning gasoline.
Ace winced. “I must’ve nicked the pilot.”
She could already see trucks and soldiers fanning out below her.
As a point of pride, Ace made a perfect landing. As a matter of survival, she raised both hands high in the air as forty armed soldiers surrounded her.”
Author Worthey does a masterful job at detailing the 1920’s as he paints the story. There is a mixture of emotions as he takes us from chuckling to gasping as Ace becomes the leader of a motley group of men who hold her in the highest regard. Ace keeps many steps ahead of every situation in a believable manner. She is not perfect, but darn close
I recommend this story to young teens and women who love quick-witted adventure. I look forward to trying more of the stories in this series. A definite keeper.
April 28, 2019
Ace Carroway is a most remarkable 16-year-old. Through a handful of memories that hint at an unusual childhood, we learn that Ace (AKA Cecilia Carroway) was trained with an eclectic list of skills and talents that prepares her for almost anything. She chooses to pilot an aeroplane for the Allies in the Great War.
After being shot down in enemy territory and taken prisoner, serendipity takes a hand. She gathers a band of misfits and leads them and the enemy on a merry chase.
Worthey's prose is sharp, spare and sprinkled with details that capture the 1920's era beautifully. The author plays into the tropes and stereotypes we expect but he talks us into laughing and gasping with each and every one. A healthy dash of technical detail that keeps the story on the edge of believable - the perfect place for this adventure tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed the colourful colloquialisms and idiosyncratic insults traded between Ace's motley crew. The plot races along but Ace's brain is always several steps ahead.
A great read.
Ace Carroway and the Great War
After being shot down in enemy territory and taken prisoner, serendipity takes a hand. She gathers a band of misfits and leads them and the enemy on a merry chase.
Worthey's prose is sharp, spare and sprinkled with details that capture the 1920's era beautifully. The author plays into the tropes and stereotypes we expect but he talks us into laughing and gasping with each and every one. A healthy dash of technical detail that keeps the story on the edge of believable - the perfect place for this adventure tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed the colourful colloquialisms and idiosyncratic insults traded between Ace's motley crew. The plot races along but Ace's brain is always several steps ahead.
A great read.
Ace Carroway and the Great War
January 25, 2021
Ace Carroway & the Great War by Guy Worthey is an entertaining and fun read. Cecilia Carroway is 16 yrs. old and lies about her age to join the military to fly planes during WWI. She is much smarter than her age suggests, shoots down 10 enemy planes and achieves the status of an "ACE". She is promoted to captain and takes her squadron for a mission over Germany. Ace is shot down, taken prisoner, and jailed with five other POW's. Being a young "dame", she has to prove herself to the other captives, her resourcefulness and cleverness quickly win them over. Ace finds a way to hinder the German war effort by booby-trapping the planes they are forced to build in a factory, develops an escape plan from their prison, and then leads them across country to freedom. The ultimate goal is to break into a heavily defended and secret airbase that she remembered seeing during her last flight and steal a plane to fly them back to England.
The author does an excellent job in keeping readers within the era, his technical knowledge of the war makes it more authentic and realistic. There are many twists and turns along the way and readers are forced to continue reading well into the night to see what happens next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and quickly downloaded book 2 in the series. Although Ace Carroway and the Great War is classified as YA, I'd recommend it for all ages. Great job Mr. Worthey!
The author does an excellent job in keeping readers within the era, his technical knowledge of the war makes it more authentic and realistic. There are many twists and turns along the way and readers are forced to continue reading well into the night to see what happens next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and quickly downloaded book 2 in the series. Although Ace Carroway and the Great War is classified as YA, I'd recommend it for all ages. Great job Mr. Worthey!
March 20, 2021
Bonus points for a creative and fun adventure featuring a girl-pilot!
I really enjoyed this fast-paced adventure about 16-year-old Ace Carroway, the first in a 6-book series. A fun read for ages 9-14. Ace is a cross between a teen-aged James Bond and Black Mamba (Uma Thurman in KILL BILL- but age-appropriate). She speaks multiple languages, is a martial arts master, an amateur surgeon, and an accomplished flying ace. The novella opens with Ace engaged in WWI-style air-to-air combat . . . with handguns and grenades. She goes down in enemy territory, is taken captive, and then takes the lead with her five motley male sidekicks—the Allies—on the escapades that ensue, ending the novel escaping an enemy airfield in a dirigible. Told in a unique, old-time radio narrator’s cadence, the action is non-stop. It initially took a bit to keep up with all of the characters’ dialogue in-scene, but by the end of the book I had them down. A great mix of historical fiction with some creative license to get Ace to the battlefront of WWI. Can’t wait to see where their next adventure takes them!
I really enjoyed this fast-paced adventure about 16-year-old Ace Carroway, the first in a 6-book series. A fun read for ages 9-14. Ace is a cross between a teen-aged James Bond and Black Mamba (Uma Thurman in KILL BILL- but age-appropriate). She speaks multiple languages, is a martial arts master, an amateur surgeon, and an accomplished flying ace. The novella opens with Ace engaged in WWI-style air-to-air combat . . . with handguns and grenades. She goes down in enemy territory, is taken captive, and then takes the lead with her five motley male sidekicks—the Allies—on the escapades that ensue, ending the novel escaping an enemy airfield in a dirigible. Told in a unique, old-time radio narrator’s cadence, the action is non-stop. It initially took a bit to keep up with all of the characters’ dialogue in-scene, but by the end of the book I had them down. A great mix of historical fiction with some creative license to get Ace to the battlefront of WWI. Can’t wait to see where their next adventure takes them!
August 4, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Though a war story told with such flair and light-heartedness it just was very entertaining.
Ace was an under-aged girl who flew a SPAD, I have to look that up, during the great war and performed such feat that earned her the title of what became her name, ACE. She outperformed all of the other flyers and so she was named Captain. She then became the commander of a squadron of six planes which she led into battle. Her squadron fell into an ill-fated mission where she was captured.
The Germans imprisoned her with five others, all men. From the very start, she asserted herself showing the men that she can protect herself and them too. In the end, the men started to depend on her expertise and leadership. She planned and executed an escape that aimed at setting the enemy back as well as making the enemy regret the day, they captured her, especially for underrating her. Her flying skills in the end was the defining factor. She was indeed an ACE.
Ace was an under-aged girl who flew a SPAD, I have to look that up, during the great war and performed such feat that earned her the title of what became her name, ACE. She outperformed all of the other flyers and so she was named Captain. She then became the commander of a squadron of six planes which she led into battle. Her squadron fell into an ill-fated mission where she was captured.
The Germans imprisoned her with five others, all men. From the very start, she asserted herself showing the men that she can protect herself and them too. In the end, the men started to depend on her expertise and leadership. She planned and executed an escape that aimed at setting the enemy back as well as making the enemy regret the day, they captured her, especially for underrating her. Her flying skills in the end was the defining factor. She was indeed an ACE.
May 9, 2019
I loved this, the first Ace Carroway book. I'd just read All Quiet on the Western Front, a sullen, somber, WWI account, so the Ace Carroway story was a nice way to come down from that. Ace is a WWI pilot but not typical in any sense. She's well educated, brave and commanding. Along with her multi-culti allied group, they break from prisoner camp and make the great escape. This story is suitable and highly recommended for the mighty girl-young adult in your life.
May 3, 2023
Audiobook: This was my first experience with Guy Worthey's work, and it was very entertaining. Once the audiobook started, I had to listen until the end as I was captivated by the tale. I really enjoyed the quirky and unique characters. There was plenty of action and intrigue. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Keira Grace's narration was entertaining, and her performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.
July 29, 2019
Great concept for a story. Always love it when there is a strong female role model. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 3, 2021
Fun read!
Don't we all wish we were that well educated and precocious at age 16. Fun return. No great philosophy to wade through, just an adventure with willing companions.
Don't we all wish we were that well educated and precocious at age 16. Fun return. No great philosophy to wade through, just an adventure with willing companions.
August 24, 2021
A wonderful change of pace
Quite an entertaining story. Loved Ace and her motley crew of friends! Can't wait to read more and see what happens next.
Quite an entertaining story. Loved Ace and her motley crew of friends! Can't wait to read more and see what happens next.
December 31, 2020
Thrilling Survival Story
Ace Carroway is a 16 year old girl who is good at whatever she does, and one thing she really loves is flying. So, hiding her age, she joins the Great War and becomes a flying hero. She is shot down in enemy territory and from this point forward, the story speeds up even more when she and her fellow captives plan a dangerous and daring escape.
Dialogue throughout is authentic and keeps the reader wondering about what is coming next. I’m sure this book will appeal, not only to the younger generation, but also those older ones who love adventure, albeit just by reading this fantasy story.
Ace Carroway is a 16 year old girl who is good at whatever she does, and one thing she really loves is flying. So, hiding her age, she joins the Great War and becomes a flying hero. She is shot down in enemy territory and from this point forward, the story speeds up even more when she and her fellow captives plan a dangerous and daring escape.
Dialogue throughout is authentic and keeps the reader wondering about what is coming next. I’m sure this book will appeal, not only to the younger generation, but also those older ones who love adventure, albeit just by reading this fantasy story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews