Sue at 12:17, 22 March 2018

2018-03-22T12:17:09Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=The Smoke Hunter |sort= Smoke Hunter |author=Jacquelyn Benson |reviewer= Amy Etherington |genre=Historical Fiction |summary= The Smoke Hunter is a fresh and e..."

2016-11-01T13:09:55Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=The Smoke Hunter |sort= Smoke Hunter |author=Jacquelyn Benson |reviewer= Amy Etherington |genre=Historical Fiction |summary= The Smoke Hunter is a fresh and e..."

New review

{{infobox
|title=The Smoke Hunter
|sort= Smoke Hunter
|author=Jacquelyn Benson
|reviewer= Amy Etherington
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary= The Smoke Hunter is a fresh and exciting tale with a fierce heroine at its core. If you like adventure mixed with history and a bit of romance then you're in for a treat. A great read for lovers of adventure and historical fiction.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=448
|publisher=Headline
|date=November 2016
|isbn= 978-1472238344
|website=http://www.jacquelynbenson.com
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472238346</amazonuk>
}}

Eleanora Mallory is an educated young woman living in Victorian London but she is restricted by the strict social codes of the late nineteenth-century. She's a historian, a suffragette, and is years ahead of her time much to the chagrin of her male work colleagues at the Public Records Office. After losing her job and finding a mysterious map abandoned on her former employer's desk, Ellie decides to take a chance at an adventure. She packs her bags and sets off on a journey to Central America, where the map shows the way to a legendary historical city. It's the expedition of a life time, but little does Ellie know that a team of fortune hunters are hot on her trail.

I do love a good adventure story. Sometimes you just need to sit down with a book that gives you twists and turns at every opportunity and ''The Smoke Hunter'' definitely achieves that. For a novel of nearly 500 pages I flew through this surprisingly fast and while there were some parts of the plot I had a little trouble with, I must say this was a truly entertaining read.
''The Smoke Hunter'' runs along the same vein as the ''Indiana Jones'' movies – lots of fast paced action with plenty of history at its core. It was refreshing to read a historical fiction novel set outside of Europe – it's lively and exotic and if you're in the mood for some real escapism then this ticks all the boxes. Plus, if you like a bit of romance with your adventure then it's got that too. Ellie teams up with the smooth talking Adam Bates, a fellow explorer who also defies society's rules to live a life of adventure. Their relationship is fuelled by sarcasm and wit and you know pretty much where it's going from the start, but it's still a lot of fun and I liked how they bounced off one another.

As entertaining as it was, there was one thing that bothered me a little. Ellie is an extremely intelligent and well educated woman for her time, and she does give her male counterparts a run for their money. However, there comes a point where the men kind of take over the story and Ellie gets shoved to the side lines. I know this is meant to be reflective of the period but I was a little disappointed with how Ellie became a bit of a spare part while the male characters took charge of everything. Thankfully, it doesn't last throughout the whole story because Ellie is a great character and when she shines she makes a great heroine in her own right.

This was a minor issue which in retrospect didn't interrupt the fun I had with this book, because that's what it is: fun. Lots of it and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. I'll be keeping my eye out for the sequel in the future. Thank you to the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals to you then I recommend trying [[The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas]] which is another historical novel full of adventure.

{{amazontext|amazon=1472238346}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=1472238346}}

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The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson - Revision history

Sue at 12:17, 22 March 2018

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=The Smoke Hunter |sort= Smoke Hunter |author=Jacquelyn Benson |reviewer= Amy Etherington |genre=Historical Fiction |summary= The Smoke Hunter is a fresh and e..."