though the Kents frustrate me tremendously, I am really enjoying this series, I have already started book, I love the history behind everything, There are times when I want to give up because I don't understand how one family has so many dysfunctional people in it.
There are some good traits though, They aren't all bad. I just enjoy the fact it is helping me learn some history I never new, Another volume in American history
I enjoy this series because I want to read more historical fiction.
The characters and story are great and I want to see what happens with the family, Had some great events from history, The problems I had were with the main character to be a strong woman shouldn't mean they have to have so many male characteristics.
Also I don't understand the need to be well known, I guess my family didn't put so much steak in preserving our name but my complaints are minor overall I like it.
Great read!.stars. Book Four in the Kent Family Chronicles series, which spans the years from the Alamo through the Gold Rush and ends just before the Civil War.
Once again Jakes delivers an entertaining and wellwritten tale where fictional characters serendipitously come into contact with real American heroes all while maintaining a high degree of historical accuracy in the telling of the events.
And, with a strong female lead, this may be my favorite story in the series so far.
Consistent with my past reviews, I would recommend this series to those who enjoy history or epic novels, but caution that there is a fair amount of violence.
John Jakes once again brings History to life in this Historical SoapOpera! I was originally going to take a short break from the series after reading The Seekers, because I don't want to finish it too quickly, but after the way The Seekers ended, I had to read the next book, because the ending of The Seekers leaves us in a cliffhanger!
The Furies takes placesomething years after the events in The Seekers, the story this time approximately in theperiod, revolves around Amanda Kent, now all grown up.
The story opens up with Amanda, residing in The Alamo, shortly before the horrific massacre, Amanda interacts with more Historical figures, such as James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and Susanna Dickinson, Amanda is one of the many survivors of the Battle of The Alamo, and is taken before Santa Anna, who led the Mexican Forces against the Texans.
He attempts to grant Amanda clemency and let her go free, which she declines, putting herself in danger.
She is later rescued by Major Luis Cordoba, one of Santa Anna's top officers, who does not fully support his rule.
Amanda and the Major fall in love and have a baby boy together, but Luis does not live to see him born because he fights in the Battle on San Jacinto, during which he is killed.
Amanda gives birth to their son, naming him Louis Kent, in honor of his deceased father,
The second half takes place in San Francisco, during that time period, known as Yerba Buena.
There she raises Louis, and at the same time runs a small Tavern, Later on Amanda learns that her late fathers firm Kent and Son's, originally founded by Phillip Kent, is still in operation, bought out by an old enemy, Hamilton Stovall.
Hoping to buy back the company for the family heritage, Amanda becomes obsessed and at the same time obtaining the California Gold Rush, which provides her the means to return to her homeland.
With the beginning of the Gold Rush, Amanda expands her Tavern into a hotel and because many came seeking the gold, the new establishment made Amanda a great deal of money.
In another half of the story we are introduced to Jephtha Kent, son of Jared Kent, Amanda's cousin.
Jephtha's presence in the story is largely confined to his diary entries that appear throughout the book.
Jared wanted Jephtha to remain with him in the West, but he moves to Lexington, Virginia, to become a Methodist Minister, and in his Diary entries we learn of his Gold mining venture.
The Saga really begins to expand with this book, new characters and new layouts! A mustread for History lovers!! Picking up approximatelyyears after The Seekers ended, this book starts with a narrative of Amanda and what happened to her/who she became after being abducted from her beloved cousin, Jared.
Following mostly Amanda throughout her life, and a distant relative of hers, Jeptha Kent, this novel in the series covers the Texan fight for independence, Californian gold rush and the beginnings of abolitionism and State strife.
The past is never far from the present with the Kent family and the struggles to survive and recover some of the reputation that they had during the Revolutionary era remain.
Most of the novels in the Kent family series have revolved around the men of the family this novel is a pleasant divergence.
While Anne Ware Phillips wife was a strong female, she wasnt a main character/narrator, Amanda really takes the reins of this story and makes the chapters that revolve around her distant cousin, Jeptha seem to take forever.
A compelling character, she is a survivor and is not to be underestimated, I really enjoyed her story and admire her even though she is “just a character”, Women like her shaped this country the US in more ways than are known and without them the US wouldnt be the country it is today.
This was a very compelling story and I am excited to see what lies in store for Louis and the remaining Kent family members.
Continue the saga, I will read all the books well worth the time, I read one book then read something different the go back to the saga, I'll probably have it done by aug,, very good reading
Thanks Deb and then performing WOW that sucks to the insurance companies will have it without her testimony and the My husband, his aunt and I read this whole series during the's when they first came out all three of us would read them in less then a weekend and couldn't wait for the next one to come out.
They were so very good you felt like you were right there living the story with them!
"Amanda Kent heads west to build a family dynasty in the era of the Gold Rush.
Opening twentytwo years after the events of The Seekers, John Jakess fourth Kent Family novel spans the bloodsoaked era of Americas relentless expansion into the West.
Amanda Kent, daughter of Gilbert Kent and Harriet Lebow, is one of the few women to escape the massacre at the Battle of the Alamo.
Uncommonly brazen and focused, Amanda seeks to make a new life for herself by restoring the Kent family name.
Her efforts to build a dynasty take her to northern California, just in time for the Gold Rush.
Her passion and determination during these frenzied years make The Furies an exhilarating pageturner, "
Excellent This was a darker book than the previous one, but featured Amanda, possibly my favorite character in the entire series.
We follow her from the Alamo to NYC where things are heating up for the Civil War.
As usual, Jakes does a great job showing both sides of the conflicts from a personal view.
He drops a lot of historical information in well connected threads throughout, too,
Handling the feelings on both sides of the argument that would become the Civil War was particularly masterful, especially since the South's side was seemingly indefensible.
It wasn't from their point, though, Their entrenched economy, fears, amp opinions were well represented, The division among the North was also well shown, Immigrants couldn't find enough work to feed their families amp the city was bursting as more flowed in.
Any competition for the few jobs couldn't be born amp that included freed slaves, yet it was obvious that blacks weren't subhuman, simply raised amp treated that way all this while those of the North treated factory workers amp servants in much the same fashion.
Jakes makes the point in a particularly poignant way when hours go by before
The scariest part was reading about how the positions in the question of states' rights amp slavery polarized society.
Neither side could see the others point of view, so no compromise was possible, Slavery was obviously no longer viable, yet its proponents kept trying to expand it, Moderates were forced into taking sides by the actions of the fanatics on both sides which ripped families amp communities apart.
We're seeing similar tensions now as sitelinkOrson Scott Card also points out so well in sitelinkEmpire.
The gov't is in itsth day of shutdown due to a few fanatics refusal to compromise amp a few others refusal to do what is right since it threatens their position not their ability to feed their family, just their continued power.
They lack a single issue to rally behind amp tear the nation apart the way the slavery issue did, but the rhetoric is remarkably similar in its uncompromising divisiveness.
Overall, I didn't care for the composition of this book as much as the rest.
It jumps through time fairly quickly amp also back amp forth between the normal perspective amp that of a diary of a completely different character.
I found that jarring, probably more so because I didn't care for the character, although he was perfect for the point Jakes was trying to make.
Scenes with Louis seemed an afterthought,
tacked on to provide continuity with future books, I doubt they were, but he didn't, . . have the depth or ring true, . . not really sure the way other characters did, even more minor ones, Something about that character was off, anyway,
Still, I'm giving the bookbecause it is so timely, yet it isyears old amp written about events overyears ago.
I'd say that's quite an accomplishment! Amanda Kent is the strong voice of this story,
The novel opens with Amanda hold up in the Alamo and continues with the war in Texas where she is becomes pregnant by her captor.
After the war, she travels with her son to California where she becomes a part of the gold rush.
She finally meets up with her cousin Jared who is a successful prospector,
When California becomes to dangerous for her, she moves to New York to try and regain the business her grandfather started.
A better book than the last in the series as it had a more complete storyline covering the life of Amanda Kent.
An important issue was resolved from the last book, namely dealing with Hamilton Stovall, who had damaged Amandas cousin Jared.
The book could be a little melodramatic, particularly at the end as Amanda hides a runaway slave from the fatherinlaw of Jeptha Kent, while confronting Stovall and a mob of Irish gangsters in New York all at the same time.
. . but it was nothing if not exciting!
The story starts out in Texas during the siege of the Alamo, which Amanda, of course, experiences, but it was interesting to get a little more of the background of that event in American history.
The growing division between the north and the south is also an important part of the story, including some debates prior to the civil war, such as the arguments around allowing new states into the union, including Texas and California, as either slave or free and the creation of the fugitive slave law as a compromise to keep the country out of war, woven into the story well.
I look forward to the next installment in the saga, .