Review of ONLY THE DEAD (Know the End of War

[Kibet Hillary]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "ONLY THE DEAD (Know the End of War" by Jan Notzon.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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John Michael and his mother are on the way to the Lazy Eight, their new home, together with his stepfather Gerard Macalister, Miss Luz, and other family members and farmhands. Their journey becomes a matter of life and death when they are attacked. Meanwhile, in a different place and time, thirteen-year-old José Nicolás is about to be initiated into adulthood in the best way his father knows. The young man, like his father, is unaware that a storm of rebellion is brewing between the unsatisfied aristocrats and some commoners; they will not remain the same.

Only The Dead (Know the End of War) presents a story packed with conflict from the start. It describes a world filled with surprises, where one could be on top of the food chain today and occupy the lowest stratum the following day; change is the only constant. The story of the third primary character, José Necahautl de Arreola, points to this and much more. In general, the old world and its beliefs are facing resistance as aristocratic power struggles, fueled by new philosophical and religious ideologies, ensue.

The historical fiction was written by Jan Notzon. I have always enjoyed poring over historical fiction books, and this one took me to places and events I had not read much about before. It is a world where men are simply ravenous beasts with two feet. Savagery reigns supreme, and even bits of humanity in a few are quickly extinguished. Most are robots with faulty programming, following any command that promises the greatest reward at the lowest cost.

In a world devoid of principles, how is everyone affected? What do fighters fight for, and on what grounds? Who will live to tell the story? The most fascinating aspect of the book was how the author allayed these fears and demonstrated their impact; no questions were left unanswered concerning the consequences of being unprincipled. Apart from this, the whole story itself was gripping, and I liked the approach the author employed. It was not until the final chapters that he revealed more details about each subplot, and the whole puzzle was solved. Equally, I appreciated how the author not only hovered over significant events and conflicts but also focused on their impact, both negative and positive, on individual characters.

Due to the minor punctuation errors I encountered, I rate the book three out of four stars. I disliked nothing about Only The Dead (Know the End of War). The story is filled with gruesome scenes; hence is unsuitable for highly sensitive readers or anyone averse to such. For readers who love historical fiction, this is a must-read. It will appeal most to those who would like to read about the Texan Revolution and the battles between the settlers and Indians before it.

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ONLY THE DEAD (Know the End of War
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[Aisha Yakub]

Seems like an action packed read. I should be adding this to my shelf. Great review.

[nwankwo chibuchi]

Historical fiction books always offer interesting reads. This looks like one of those good ones.

[Ikechukwu+12345]

Great review. I look forward to reading this piece, io order to have detailed information.