Review of Fields of Pain

[Rosemary Wright]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fields of Pain" by Nigel Seed.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Fields of Pain, by Nigel Seed, is an intriguing historical fiction book. Silas is a Black slave to a White master, who has targeted him for torture. Thomas, an old colleague of his, advises him to escape to avoid getting eliminated soon. He shows Silas how to escape through "the Underground Railroad," an organisation of people that helps slaves escape to the North that has states where slavery is illegal.

After a long journey, Silas arrives in Canada and gets a job. The federal government of the United States calls for seventy-five thousand troops to put down an insurrection in the southern states. Hence, Henry, his new boss, gets him involved in his transportation business that involves carrying food, clothes, shoes, and ammunition to the troops with wagons.

Afterwards, Henry grows weary of being on the battlefront. He stops the supply of things to the troops, and Silas joins the army to take part in the fight to free his people from slavery. Will he survive the war? Will he ever know a life of peace?

The book is interesting and enlightening, revealing the brutality and degradation a particular race experienced at one time in America. Though it's a fictional book, the author does a good job of describing similar events that happened in the past. I don't usually like war stories, but I like how the author weaves war events into his story and gives lifelike descriptions of them.

Exploring chiefly the themes of slave brutality and the fight for freedom, the book is comprehensible and coherent. Its plot consists of twists and turns that make it unique, particularly the one that involves Silas being in the southern states again to deliver stuff with Henry after his escape.

Concerning the characters, they are interesting and lifelike. The author gives enough details about them that make them relatable, both the good and bad guys. The slave catchers' descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I was watching a movie. Silas was a strong-willed man, who struggled to survive and looked forward to freeing his loved ones from slavery.

I enjoyed reading Fields of Pain. However, it has many gory scenes. Hence, it's not for the faint-hearted. Besides, it's an escape story that turns into a war story afterwards. Fans of war stories will love it.

In conclusion, I rate Fields of Pain 5 out of 5 stars. I didn't give it a lower rating because of its solid plot that has interesting events. Besides, the author narrated his story in a coherent manner. Moreover, the book was professionally edited; I saw just one typo. It'll be a great read for lovers of historical fiction books that tell about American slavery and the American Civil War.

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Fields of Pain
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[Wren Michaels]

Great Review. This does not sound for the faint-hearted