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Fin's Revolution #2
Fiddler's Green
From the backwaters of Georgia to the taverns of Philadelphia, Fin Button is the talk of the colonies. The British say she's a pirate. The Americans call her a mutineer. The crew of the Rattlesnake call her the most unlikely thing of captain.
But with the Revolution on the verge of defeat, the Congress offers Fin a deal. If she can free a noblewoman held captive by pirates, the French may be persuaded to join the war. Fin's reward? A full pardon.
Along with Jack, Topper, and the mysterious Armand Defain, Fin sails the Rattlesnake to the Mediterranean Sea, half a world away. Their destination is Tripoli--home of the savage corsairs and slavers of the Barbary Coast.
To win the prize, Fin will need the help of an ancient seafaring order, the Knights of Malta and the resolve of one faithful knight could alter more than just the outcome of the Revolution. It could mend the heart of a lonely girl and give rise to an American legend.
But with the Revolution on the verge of defeat, the Congress offers Fin a deal. If she can free a noblewoman held captive by pirates, the French may be persuaded to join the war. Fin's reward? A full pardon.
Along with Jack, Topper, and the mysterious Armand Defain, Fin sails the Rattlesnake to the Mediterranean Sea, half a world away. Their destination is Tripoli--home of the savage corsairs and slavers of the Barbary Coast.
To win the prize, Fin will need the help of an ancient seafaring order, the Knights of Malta and the resolve of one faithful knight could alter more than just the outcome of the Revolution. It could mend the heart of a lonely girl and give rise to an American legend.
321 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
22 people are currently reading
812 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
December 4, 2012
This is what I wrote to the author when I finished reading this story:
"I have just finished The Fiddler's Green and, although any attempt I would make to express it's impact on my heart would not do it justice, I will say only that it is Flipping Brilliant. I related to Fin in so many ways. I have been at sea for most of my life and in search of a way back home.
I closed the book with a sense of the sunrise. Thank you."
"I have just finished The Fiddler's Green and, although any attempt I would make to express it's impact on my heart would not do it justice, I will say only that it is Flipping Brilliant. I related to Fin in so many ways. I have been at sea for most of my life and in search of a way back home.
I closed the book with a sense of the sunrise. Thank you."
December 26, 2010
More than five stars, please.
I don't know where to begin describing this story. Some passages I had to sit with and read over and over again to savor their depth and grace. Others brought laughter...and tears.
The end of the story left me slack-jawed, stunned. Good GOD, it's so beautiful it hurts. Among the best books I have read...ever.
I don't know where to begin describing this story. Some passages I had to sit with and read over and over again to savor their depth and grace. Others brought laughter...and tears.
The end of the story left me slack-jawed, stunned. Good GOD, it's so beautiful it hurts. Among the best books I have read...ever.
March 19, 2024
Let's just say this did not go or end the way I expected. It did end nicely... but what a doozy of a read.
Characters:
Fin is fiery and zealous... She got a streak for adventure and danger a mile wide, and it seems to follow her wherever she goes. She's a well developed character, and though she is wild and reckless, there's something kind of lovable about her.
There's so many great characters from her crew such as Jack, Topper, Tillum, and Sam... then we have Dr. Thigham, who cracked me up to no end!
Jeannot was another POV introduced later in the book, and I appreciate his value of human life and honor... He was great, and I quite adored his character.
Luther was also great! And when his first mate looks at Fin and is "He sings." I died...haha... sounds like something my sister would say about me, though the Lord knows I like singing but can't sing worth a flitter...lol...
Themes:
I think the greatest overarching theme of the doulogy is that seeking adventure and our place in this word isn't always all that it's cracked up to be. That settling down isn't so bad, and you never release just how good you had it until you lose it all.
Language:
There are several uses the d-word, h-e-double hockey sticks, and one of two uses of the b-word.
Romance:
Mentions of some waiting back home, lovers, and yeah... nothing detailed.
Gore:
There are some scenes that made my skin crawl such as a dungeon scene with a tortured individual that's been dismembered...and then some descriptions of the various stages of decay that I could have lived without and now am trying to block from memory.
Overall:
It's a good story...I don't like the language, or gore, and there's a guy who goes crazy and gives me the heebeegeebies...I don't agree with some of the choices Fin made...and I'm not sure if I'll reread the doulogy or not.
The writing is pretty, but the aforementioned drawbacks just aren't things I like reading about.
Overall, if reading, I'd say at 18+.
Characters:
Fin is fiery and zealous... She got a streak for adventure and danger a mile wide, and it seems to follow her wherever she goes. She's a well developed character, and though she is wild and reckless, there's something kind of lovable about her.
There's so many great characters from her crew such as Jack, Topper, Tillum, and Sam... then we have Dr. Thigham, who cracked me up to no end!
Jeannot was another POV introduced later in the book, and I appreciate his value of human life and honor... He was great, and I quite adored his character.
Luther was also great! And when his first mate looks at Fin and is "He sings." I died...haha... sounds like something my sister would say about me, though the Lord knows I like singing but can't sing worth a flitter...lol...
Themes:
I think the greatest overarching theme of the doulogy is that seeking adventure and our place in this word isn't always all that it's cracked up to be. That settling down isn't so bad, and you never release just how good you had it until you lose it all.
Language:
There are several uses the d-word, h-e-double hockey sticks, and one of two uses of the b-word.
Romance:
Mentions of some waiting back home, lovers, and yeah... nothing detailed.
Gore:
There are some scenes that made my skin crawl such as a dungeon scene with a tortured individual that's been dismembered...and then some descriptions of the various stages of decay that I could have lived without and now am trying to block from memory.
Overall:
It's a good story...I don't like the language, or gore, and there's a guy who goes crazy and gives me the heebeegeebies...I don't agree with some of the choices Fin made...and I'm not sure if I'll reread the doulogy or not.
The writing is pretty, but the aforementioned drawbacks just aren't things I like reading about.
Overall, if reading, I'd say at 18+.
September 7, 2025
Ever read a book that was so beautiful your throat clogged with tears at the ending?
That was this one.
This conclusion to the duology was beautiful. Redemption, love, sacrifice, betrayal, loss, heroics and coming home at last.
It was all so good!
My heart is very full.
That was this one.
This conclusion to the duology was beautiful. Redemption, love, sacrifice, betrayal, loss, heroics and coming home at last.
It was all so good!
My heart is very full.
August 27, 2017
That was brilliant. And beautiful.
January 3, 2011
In this sequel to The Fiddler's Gun, Fin is captain of the Rattlesnake, hanging out with some less-than-lawful characters, and is an outlaw herself. She can win a pardon if she can manage to sail through Barbary pirates and rescue a kidnapped countess. So how can Christian knights possibly enter into the story? They do, and in a major way.
Fin made some really poor and cruel decisions, and I didn't like her as much as I did in the first book. Some of what she did seemed out of character to me. I loved the character Dr. Thigham who, oh my, oh dear, told all his patients that they were going to die.
This book is darker and more violent than the first. As in the first book, there is real history mixed into the story, and I enjoy that. The story is well written and entertaining, but I liked The Fiddler's Gun a bit more. While this one can be read as a standalone novel, I think readers will enjoy it more if they first read the earlier book.
Fin made some really poor and cruel decisions, and I didn't like her as much as I did in the first book. Some of what she did seemed out of character to me. I loved the character Dr. Thigham who, oh my, oh dear, told all his patients that they were going to die.
This book is darker and more violent than the first. As in the first book, there is real history mixed into the story, and I enjoy that. The story is well written and entertaining, but I liked The Fiddler's Gun a bit more. While this one can be read as a standalone novel, I think readers will enjoy it more if they first read the earlier book.
April 12, 2018
Brilliant, beautiful. I loved this book.
May 2, 2020
This book was amazing. The writing style was amazing, the details were amazing, and the story was amazing.
March 25, 2021
riveting.
April 20, 2015
Wow! This was a great second book! If I was rating this together with the first novel, it would be a five star book. I love the way Peterson brought the story together. This is a truly moving redemption story. There were times in this book when I found myself disgusted with Fin Button. I did not like who she had become and who she wanted to be. And yet, I see myself in her character in those moments, much more than I do when I see the heroine who saves the day. The path of Fin Button is in many ways the same path we all walk, and Peterson brings the book to a fitting close in reminding the reader of his opening lines. Fin Button sees the path home, even though home does not look exactly like what she thought it would.
I despised Fin as the captain of Fiddler's Green who played the part of the hard captain and distanced herself from her crew. She became a replica of Creache, and the exact opposite of who she was and why the crew made her the captain in the first place. She became the one that she hated, and she began to believe the role herself. Perhaps the moment of her deepest depravity is the moment when she allows herself to be consumed with hatred for her father, and it drives her to beat him within an inch of his life. In that moment, she becomes no better than he is himself.
It is through Jeannot that Fin finds her salvation, and comes to realize who she has become and who she really wants to be. She is able to move away from her hatred, and though it is not easy and is quite messy at times, she is able to put others before herself. She is able to see herself for who she has become and turn from her former self. And it is not herself who is able to make this turn, but it is only with the help of Jeannot, who sees the beauty within her and loves her in spite of herself. Even then, he loves her in the way only a true love can. He turns her over to follow her dreams, and he helps her to the best of his ability to return her safely home.
The hardest moment of the book for me was her return home, to the house she built with Peter. And while I didn't see it coming in advance, I saw it coming as she walked the road from Savannah. Something in the lines whispered the truth that had been expertly hidden by the author until that moment. And yet, it was not sad, but it was appropriate. Peter was not there anymore, and as much as I hated it, it was right. And you could feel Fin's struggle in that moment, and it broke my heart, while at the same time, I knew it was part of the healing process. The road did bring her home, but it was not what she expected, yet it was in many ways what she had known all along. And in her homecoming, her change was complete. She gave herself away to those who had need. She helped to rebuild what in some ways she had helped destroy. And when she was done giving all she could give, she returned to her true home, the sea.
I love that Fin is the story of every man and woman. She is lost and in search of her true self, in search of love and acceptance. She simply wants someone to love her for who she is, as she is. And her life is a struggle as she sets out to discover this love and her true identity; as she sets out to discover her true love. And when she finds that love, she doesn't recognize it for what it is, even as she is changed by that love into someone new - a new creation. And the struggle continues until the moment finally comes when she realizes that home is not what or where she thought it was, but is something that had been inside her all her life. And finally, that love calls her home and claims her as his own, and she finally gives herself away to that love because everything else has been lost.
This was a great ending to a great story.
I despised Fin as the captain of Fiddler's Green who played the part of the hard captain and distanced herself from her crew. She became a replica of Creache, and the exact opposite of who she was and why the crew made her the captain in the first place. She became the one that she hated, and she began to believe the role herself. Perhaps the moment of her deepest depravity is the moment when she allows herself to be consumed with hatred for her father, and it drives her to beat him within an inch of his life. In that moment, she becomes no better than he is himself.
It is through Jeannot that Fin finds her salvation, and comes to realize who she has become and who she really wants to be. She is able to move away from her hatred, and though it is not easy and is quite messy at times, she is able to put others before herself. She is able to see herself for who she has become and turn from her former self. And it is not herself who is able to make this turn, but it is only with the help of Jeannot, who sees the beauty within her and loves her in spite of herself. Even then, he loves her in the way only a true love can. He turns her over to follow her dreams, and he helps her to the best of his ability to return her safely home.
The hardest moment of the book for me was her return home, to the house she built with Peter. And while I didn't see it coming in advance, I saw it coming as she walked the road from Savannah. Something in the lines whispered the truth that had been expertly hidden by the author until that moment. And yet, it was not sad, but it was appropriate. Peter was not there anymore, and as much as I hated it, it was right. And you could feel Fin's struggle in that moment, and it broke my heart, while at the same time, I knew it was part of the healing process. The road did bring her home, but it was not what she expected, yet it was in many ways what she had known all along. And in her homecoming, her change was complete. She gave herself away to those who had need. She helped to rebuild what in some ways she had helped destroy. And when she was done giving all she could give, she returned to her true home, the sea.
I love that Fin is the story of every man and woman. She is lost and in search of her true self, in search of love and acceptance. She simply wants someone to love her for who she is, as she is. And her life is a struggle as she sets out to discover this love and her true identity; as she sets out to discover her true love. And when she finds that love, she doesn't recognize it for what it is, even as she is changed by that love into someone new - a new creation. And the struggle continues until the moment finally comes when she realizes that home is not what or where she thought it was, but is something that had been inside her all her life. And finally, that love calls her home and claims her as his own, and she finally gives herself away to that love because everything else has been lost.
This was a great ending to a great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2015
Wow! What a great book and a fitting end to the amazing tale of Fin Button! Peterson's follow up book to "Fiddler's Gun" keeps the read enthralled and held in suspense throughout with harrowing tales of escape and pursuit, yet he is always unpredictable. The 2-book series is set during the period of the American Revolution and Fin finds herself swept into the enormous tides of history just as she is swept into the enormous tides of her own passion and thirst for adventure. An exciting story of mistakes, betrayal, loyalty and redemption. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great story full of adventure and the unexpected.
January 10, 2011
I should write about the mechanics of this book I suppose. I should comment on its lively, soulful prose and a convoluted plot that keeps a reader engaged from start to finish. But I can't. Not yet.
I can't do that because I'm having too much trouble looking at this book at arm's length. It's still burning inside me, healing questions and fears that I've had for decades. Wearing the edges off callouses. Redeeming broken things.
So, I'm sorry. This is all the review I can give for now. I can't tame it yet, I can only offer my thanks.
I can't do that because I'm having too much trouble looking at this book at arm's length. It's still burning inside me, healing questions and fears that I've had for decades. Wearing the edges off callouses. Redeeming broken things.
So, I'm sorry. This is all the review I can give for now. I can't tame it yet, I can only offer my thanks.
March 28, 2020
That’s ok. I didn’t need my heart in one piece anyway.
January 24, 2024
I love this book so much! Even better than the first one. It is truly a tale of truth, goodness, and beauty…but one that realizes we can’t recognize those things as clearly if we haven’t seen the lies, ugliness, and hate first. I have a feeling this is one of those books that will stay with me forever…and I definitely need to own a copy.
“Mayhap it’s right and we don’t see it…maybe sometime mercy’s not a pardon. Maybe sometime it’s the short straw and the quick exit [dying].”
“Still don’t seem right,”…
“Yeah, well, what seems ain’t always what is.”
“Mayhap it’s right and we don’t see it…maybe sometime mercy’s not a pardon. Maybe sometime it’s the short straw and the quick exit [dying].”
“Still don’t seem right,”…
“Yeah, well, what seems ain’t always what is.”
August 5, 2013
Most attempts to combine tall tales with character growth fail. Often authors choose to take tall tale characters' powers seriously, and so the larger than life kids grow into the same kinds of clunkily serious 'destined heroes' that saturate epic fantasy and superhero stories. This defeats the original purpose of tall tales - to brag and entertain, to let the hearer enjoy the ridiculousness of the exaggerated claims.
In Fiddler's Green Peterson's young heroine Fin Button instead has a 'terror of the high seas' reputation that's a mix of earned and exaggerated, from the events in The Fiddler's Gun, and she's painfully aware of the ways in which the pirate Captain Button is a fiction. There's plenty of swashbuckling in this continuation of Fin's adventures during the American Revolution, as she and the crew sail the Rattlesnake, now renamed Fiddler's Green, on a secret mission across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. But what stands out is how, among all the piracy and outlandish fun (and perhaps a smidge too much sheer stupidity), Peterson intersperses experiences of growing up rthat eaders can relate to. For example, Fin has moments of complete emotional connection to music. Loyalty to friends seems more important to her than anything. Sound familiar? She has murky relationships with adults in her life, with a mix of trust, fear, and pain. Fin feels the conflict between loyalty to the people of home and dealing honestly with herself about how she's changing in new relationships and experiences (). She has to deal with ambiguous situations without a black and white right and wrong, and experiences how you don't get to keep what's most important to you forever. Fin's central dilemma about being the fearsome Captain Button on the outside and a loving small-town Georgia girl on the inside is, perfectly for a tall tale, an exaggerated version of the dissonance that all teens feel between outside-what we do, how we're perceived- and inside-what we feel. Part of being a teen, maybe the quintessential part,is feeling only the 'inside' you is real, that the 'outside', how we are in the world, is fake. Yet reclaiming both as part of the self, owning it all as part of me is crucial for getting beyond the navel-gazing phase of life and taking adult responsibility for actions and choices. Peterson brilliantly shows us Fin going through both stages, moving from simply wanting people to like her and to get what she wanted, to having principles about how the world should be. Back at the orphanage Fin envisioned moving down the road with her best childhood friend Peter as her way of getting out and growing up. In showing us how much further she had to go, geographically, experientially, and emotionally, Peterson reminds us how far we've travelled, too.
For parents, the Fin's Revolution duology is not quite as lighthearted as L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy or Carrie Vaughn's Steel but of a similar age-appropriateness.
In Fiddler's Green Peterson's young heroine Fin Button instead has a 'terror of the high seas' reputation that's a mix of earned and exaggerated, from the events in The Fiddler's Gun, and she's painfully aware of the ways in which the pirate Captain Button is a fiction. There's plenty of swashbuckling in this continuation of Fin's adventures during the American Revolution, as she and the crew sail the Rattlesnake, now renamed Fiddler's Green, on a secret mission across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. But what stands out is how, among all the piracy and outlandish fun (and perhaps a smidge too much sheer stupidity), Peterson intersperses experiences of growing up rthat eaders can relate to. For example, Fin has moments of complete emotional connection to music. Loyalty to friends seems more important to her than anything. Sound familiar? She has murky relationships with adults in her life, with a mix of trust, fear, and pain. Fin feels the conflict between loyalty to the people of home and dealing honestly with herself about how she's changing in new relationships and experiences (). She has to deal with ambiguous situations without a black and white right and wrong, and experiences how you don't get to keep what's most important to you forever. Fin's central dilemma about being the fearsome Captain Button on the outside and a loving small-town Georgia girl on the inside is, perfectly for a tall tale, an exaggerated version of the dissonance that all teens feel between outside-what we do, how we're perceived- and inside-what we feel. Part of being a teen, maybe the quintessential part,is feeling only the 'inside' you is real, that the 'outside', how we are in the world, is fake. Yet reclaiming both as part of the self, owning it all as part of me is crucial for getting beyond the navel-gazing phase of life and taking adult responsibility for actions and choices. Peterson brilliantly shows us Fin going through both stages, moving from simply wanting people to like her and to get what she wanted, to having principles about how the world should be. Back at the orphanage Fin envisioned moving down the road with her best childhood friend Peter as her way of getting out and growing up. In showing us how much further she had to go, geographically, experientially, and emotionally, Peterson reminds us how far we've travelled, too.
For parents, the Fin's Revolution duology is not quite as lighthearted as L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy or Carrie Vaughn's Steel but of a similar age-appropriateness.
September 18, 2024
I’m not crying. You are. *melts in a puddle of tears*
Gonna write a review later…
———
Ok it is now later…
This book… this book is art. Honestly. It’s as poetic as a ballet, as deep at the rolling sea, and as breathtaking as Versailles. It was very different than the first book in so many wonderful ways.
Fin became mature and a well rounded woman. She had many flaws as humans do but she is so different compared to the way woman are written now. As brave, and as daring, and as intelligent as she was she still relied on her friends, trusted people, did her best to do right, remained faithful to her promises, forgave those who did her wrong, protected those who didn’t protect her, and took constructive criticism to heart.
And I absolutely adored the men. Not all of them of course but like… Jack and Jeannot and Topper and Knut *sobs* and Pierre-Jean. Loved all those guys. So sweet and well meaning and just down right manly.
Books these days just aren’t made like this anymore. Do 👏better👏please👏. Take some notes from this book.
The near end was indeed very sad… but in the end it was hopeful so it was good and satisfying.
If you’re looking for a good pirate book with swashbuckling, kidnapping, a hearty crew, and a fierce red haired pirate captain with knack for being the main character of many slightly true tall tales… then this is your book.
But read the first one first😂
Gonna write a review later…
———
Ok it is now later…
This book… this book is art. Honestly. It’s as poetic as a ballet, as deep at the rolling sea, and as breathtaking as Versailles. It was very different than the first book in so many wonderful ways.
Fin became mature and a well rounded woman. She had many flaws as humans do but she is so different compared to the way woman are written now. As brave, and as daring, and as intelligent as she was she still relied on her friends, trusted people, did her best to do right, remained faithful to her promises, forgave those who did her wrong, protected those who didn’t protect her, and took constructive criticism to heart.
And I absolutely adored the men. Not all of them of course but like… Jack and Jeannot and Topper and Knut *sobs* and Pierre-Jean. Loved all those guys. So sweet and well meaning and just down right manly.
Books these days just aren’t made like this anymore. Do 👏better👏please👏. Take some notes from this book.
The near end was indeed very sad… but in the end it was hopeful so it was good and satisfying.
If you’re looking for a good pirate book with swashbuckling, kidnapping, a hearty crew, and a fierce red haired pirate captain with knack for being the main character of many slightly true tall tales… then this is your book.
But read the first one first😂
December 28, 2010
The summary sums it up nicely so I won't type paragraphs summarizing the story. I liked it, but not as much as the first one. Despite my love of pirates, I missed the orphanage scenes that were in the first one. I missed Hilde and her fat sister.
The new character additions just didn't intrigue me as much. Jeannot (gotta double check that spelling) didn't appeal to me as much as Tan did in book one and err.. yes.. as ashamed as I am to say it, Armand Defain. Defain had a small role in this one, but as lewd and cruel as he may be, I wanted more of him.
The plot was fast paced and had a few good twists, but the Knights were dull to me. I prefer pirates.
It had a good conclusion though.
The new character additions just didn't intrigue me as much. Jeannot (gotta double check that spelling) didn't appeal to me as much as Tan did in book one and err.. yes.. as ashamed as I am to say it, Armand Defain. Defain had a small role in this one, but as lewd and cruel as he may be, I wanted more of him.
The plot was fast paced and had a few good twists, but the Knights were dull to me. I prefer pirates.
It had a good conclusion though.
April 19, 2020
This book was really good. A great sequel though
Super happy I read this series. :)
Super happy I read this series. :)
September 18, 2022
When I was reading The Fiddler’s Gun, I kept wondering to myself when the story would falter. As I read Fiddler’s Green, Fin Button’s story never took any cheap ways forward. The writing is masterful as each chapter surprises in a way as if it were blown by the wind but never erratic. Each character is wonderfully developed, even to the point I felt emotional at the demise one of the more despicable individuals. As with The Fiddler’s Gun, I would give Fiddler’s Green six stars if I could. While I am not quite settled on it’s exact place, I would land Fin’s Revolution among my top 5 fiction of all time. Absolutely delightful with every chapter. Wonderful and astonishing. The highest of recommendations.
On a separate note, if ever there was a book to use a liturgy for closure on, it is this one. The final page felt vacuous, not because of any of the writing but because I didn’t want to leave the world. I followed up with Douglas McKelvey’s “Lament Upon Finishing A Beloved Book” from Every Moment Holy, Vol.1, and it was the intimate moment I needed after finishing Fin’s Revolution.
On a separate note, if ever there was a book to use a liturgy for closure on, it is this one. The final page felt vacuous, not because of any of the writing but because I didn’t want to leave the world. I followed up with Douglas McKelvey’s “Lament Upon Finishing A Beloved Book” from Every Moment Holy, Vol.1, and it was the intimate moment I needed after finishing Fin’s Revolution.
August 24, 2020
I loved these books. I love the strong and flawed character of Fin Button. I love that although she is a young woman, a teenager, in fact, she isn't portrayed as incapable of making decisions because of her raging hormones and emotions. She makes both good and bad decisions throughout the story and understands the consequences of her actions. As the reader, I could feel her inner conflicts/turmoil of what she desires to do and be and where she instead finds herself. The crew of sailors she finds herself with aboard the Rattlesnake are generally very likeable and I enjoyed their character development and back stories, especially Jack, Nut, and Tan.
There is actually a lot of violence and adult content, so even though my 11 year old might like the story, I think it will be awhile before I'll recommend these for her.
There is actually a lot of violence and adult content, so even though my 11 year old might like the story, I think it will be awhile before I'll recommend these for her.
February 28, 2022
Second book in the series. This saga was a favorite then and it still is now. A hard, bitter sweet, violent, and at times painful & sad story written by Andrew Peterson’s brother, Pete. Great writing. Great characters. If you like high adventure that spans land and sea, you will like this sweeping story set during the Revolutionary time period.
* just as an FYI, there is much brokenness in this story concerning the main character, a young orphan girl named Fin, and the other characters. There is deep emotional struggle, much violence & killing. Some dark characters as well. But a great story.
* just as an FYI, there is much brokenness in this story concerning the main character, a young orphan girl named Fin, and the other characters. There is deep emotional struggle, much violence & killing. Some dark characters as well. But a great story.
July 11, 2024
It’s been a while since a book ripped my heart to pieces the way this one did, but oh what an experience.
I loved the main character. She’s flawed, she doesn’t always make the right choice, but still I loved her and rooted for her the whole time. She was well written and consistent and watching her grow was a delight.
The side characters were delightful too and provide some very necessary comic relief to what ultimately is a pretty dark book.
There were points where the violence and gore got to me, but it added to the realism and grimness of the story and didn’t feel unnecessary.
I loved the main character. She’s flawed, she doesn’t always make the right choice, but still I loved her and rooted for her the whole time. She was well written and consistent and watching her grow was a delight.
The side characters were delightful too and provide some very necessary comic relief to what ultimately is a pretty dark book.
There were points where the violence and gore got to me, but it added to the realism and grimness of the story and didn’t feel unnecessary.
September 10, 2022
Listened to the audio book for the first book awhile back, and part of the second not realizing there was more... but unrecorded.
Just got around to finishing the rest of book two via paperback.
So much happens! Fin makes some hard choices, and a few good decisions. The ending is quite sad, and yet real for that. I'm quite pleased with the end of the series.
A great adventure series for young teenagers!
Just got around to finishing the rest of book two via paperback.
So much happens! Fin makes some hard choices, and a few good decisions. The ending is quite sad, and yet real for that. I'm quite pleased with the end of the series.
A great adventure series for young teenagers!
August 9, 2021
This series is one of the best I've ever read. I don't normally cry when I read, but in both books of the series, I spontaneously did several times (many of my favorite characters did, indeed, die). And when the journey ended, I cried for a good while afterward. It will be a bit before I'm ready to take up another.
July 30, 2017
Loved this sequel to Fiddler's Gun. So much beauty, wrestling with hard things in our stories, and choosing courage and justice. And some beautiful redemption in the midst of brokenness -- real life stuff.
March 4, 2022
I've read this one twice.
All the things I disliked about book one were still present in this book, but I loved this one far more than book one. Mainly because the plot was far more exciting, and we were introduced to the first truly Godly, truly noble, and truly admirable character, and he redeemed the whole book because he was AWESOME.
All the things I disliked about book one were still present in this book, but I loved this one far more than book one. Mainly because the plot was far more exciting, and we were introduced to the first truly Godly, truly noble, and truly admirable character, and he redeemed the whole book because he was AWESOME.
December 24, 2010
When I finished A.S. Peterson's first novel, The Fiddler's Gun, I was blown away at how this first time author could have written such an engrossing story with such endearing and memorable characters. I was even more amazed that I connected with them so much, and how I laughed and grieved along with them. So when I started reading Fiddler's Green I shouldn't have been surprised at how incredibly well written it was, but it blew away my expectations. Oftentimes I read a passage or a paragraph, paused, and read it again just to experience it a second time. While the writing in The Fiddler's Gun was superb, Fiddler's Green is simply phenomenal. Peterson has outdone himself.
Fiddler's Green continues the story of Fin Button, orphan turned Captain of the pirate ship Rattlesnake. Given a chance of a full pardon she heads half a world away in the hope of some day returning home to her beloved Peter. I wasn't sure what to expect of the world traveling we get in Fiddler's Green, but Peterson weaves the story perfectly. A lot of people say this about many books, but I had a hard time putting it down for other things (like eating and sleeping). It was gripping from beginning to end. It's full of just as much action and suspense as the first book, and the heartache I felt for Fin approached new levels. This book will move you. When I read the final page I had a strange mixture of grief mingled with joy that I haven't felt in a long time after reading a book. It is truly remarkable that a book can stir such emotions, but Fiddler's Green manages to do just that.
I give this book my highest possible recommendation. It's a must own.
Fiddler's Green continues the story of Fin Button, orphan turned Captain of the pirate ship Rattlesnake. Given a chance of a full pardon she heads half a world away in the hope of some day returning home to her beloved Peter. I wasn't sure what to expect of the world traveling we get in Fiddler's Green, but Peterson weaves the story perfectly. A lot of people say this about many books, but I had a hard time putting it down for other things (like eating and sleeping). It was gripping from beginning to end. It's full of just as much action and suspense as the first book, and the heartache I felt for Fin approached new levels. This book will move you. When I read the final page I had a strange mixture of grief mingled with joy that I haven't felt in a long time after reading a book. It is truly remarkable that a book can stir such emotions, but Fiddler's Green manages to do just that.
I give this book my highest possible recommendation. It's a must own.
October 7, 2015
The Fiddler’s Green
A.S.Peterson
Fin Button has now been on the run for many years, until the crew of the Rattlesnake is confronted with a mission from the continental congress. The mission, rescue a captured countess from the evil Barbary pirates, the reward, a full pardon for her and her crew. Now Fin along with jack, topper, knut, and the entire crew of the Rattlesnake. Embark on a journey full of adventure, treachery, redemption, death, and most of all life, in The Fiddler’s Green.
This book is full of such beautiful imagery, such as, in chapter 11, Peterson wrote, “ The forces at war within her raced down her arms and set something extraordinary in motion; rapturous, golden. Her fingers coxed the long-silent fiddle to life. They danced across the strings without hesitation, molding beauty out of the miraculous combination of wood vibration and emotion. The music was so bright she felt that she could see it.”Also within Fiddler’s Green there are amazing, complex characters that are filled with sadness, anger, hate, love, loyalty, joyousness, and friendship. If you ever liked stories full of pirates and knights, then this book is for you. I loved this book I would rate it at a 5.
A.S.Peterson
Fin Button has now been on the run for many years, until the crew of the Rattlesnake is confronted with a mission from the continental congress. The mission, rescue a captured countess from the evil Barbary pirates, the reward, a full pardon for her and her crew. Now Fin along with jack, topper, knut, and the entire crew of the Rattlesnake. Embark on a journey full of adventure, treachery, redemption, death, and most of all life, in The Fiddler’s Green.
This book is full of such beautiful imagery, such as, in chapter 11, Peterson wrote, “ The forces at war within her raced down her arms and set something extraordinary in motion; rapturous, golden. Her fingers coxed the long-silent fiddle to life. They danced across the strings without hesitation, molding beauty out of the miraculous combination of wood vibration and emotion. The music was so bright she felt that she could see it.”Also within Fiddler’s Green there are amazing, complex characters that are filled with sadness, anger, hate, love, loyalty, joyousness, and friendship. If you ever liked stories full of pirates and knights, then this book is for you. I loved this book I would rate it at a 5.
April 7, 2024
What a beautiful telling of a tragic tale that ends with such poignancy that my heart is still beating with it. This was my second time through this book, as my first time through left me raw and unsure what I thought of it. A year later on re-reading, I find it a compelling tale of a long sought after redemption that takes both books, The Fiddler's Gun being the first, to tell.
I think my first time through the books I was reading to see if they were appropriate for my then 12 year old daughter, which is probably what left me unsure what I thought. These books are a hard read and too "honest" for a young teen, in my opinion, but for a teen mature enough to see the story's redemption arc all the way through from start to finish and learn from the whole of it, I highly recommend them.
As I said in my review of the first, the writing is amazing.... some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. In most books I normally skim the descriptive details, but not this one! I would read and re-read to let the descriptive metaphors soak in. Just beautiful.
My only disappointment is that one of the main side characters' "ever after" is unanswered. We are left not knowing what so-and-so does after the story's close which I found a bit unsatisfying.
I think my first time through the books I was reading to see if they were appropriate for my then 12 year old daughter, which is probably what left me unsure what I thought. These books are a hard read and too "honest" for a young teen, in my opinion, but for a teen mature enough to see the story's redemption arc all the way through from start to finish and learn from the whole of it, I highly recommend them.
As I said in my review of the first, the writing is amazing.... some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. In most books I normally skim the descriptive details, but not this one! I would read and re-read to let the descriptive metaphors soak in. Just beautiful.
My only disappointment is that one of the main side characters' "ever after" is unanswered. We are left not knowing what so-and-so does after the story's close which I found a bit unsatisfying.
May 9, 2016
"The Fiddler's Green" is the second part of Fin Button's story, continued from the first book, "The Fiddler's Gun." I greatly enjoyed this story through both books. The story is FULL of twists and turns, gritty and realistic characters, personal vendettas and revenge, and mixed with all of that, hope, mercy, and grace. The setting and plot seem a bit unbelievable in a book description--pirates, an orphan heroine, and the American Revolutionary War--but all these fit together to create one wonderful tall tale.
A.S. Peterson's writing is full of passion, beautiful descriptive passages that mesh well with the action scenes, and a very real and very complicated protagonist whose story we can all relate to in one aspect or another. "The Fiddler's Gun" and "The Fiddler's Green" are exciting and wonderful stories.
A.S. Peterson's writing is full of passion, beautiful descriptive passages that mesh well with the action scenes, and a very real and very complicated protagonist whose story we can all relate to in one aspect or another. "The Fiddler's Gun" and "The Fiddler's Green" are exciting and wonderful stories.
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