Eburnean Books
Featuring: Marcus Dewar; The Blue Flyer; Jane Turner
472 pages ISBN: B0H4S2GM3G EAN: 9798993925448 Kindle: B0GYB14BL8 Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
Jane Turner the British plane mechanic and Marcus Dewar,
an American pilot, were pitted against the Blue Planes in
the earlier books of this imaginative series. I found the
first book, DROPS OF GLASS, easiest to get into, and by the
time we reach the third, CASTLES OF SAND, I recommend it
only for those whoβve read the earlier adventures.
Β
The start of this book hits the difficult mid-series
slump in action. Jane and Marcus are both under arrest in a
prisoner of war situation. In reality, Jane is claiming to
be the wife of a deserter. Marcus claims to be that
deserter. Itβs this or get shot as spies. They are in
Holland, a country which is neutral in the war against the
Kaiser, but nervously so. The neighbouring Low Countries are
a sea of mud and blood by this point. Jane is guarded but
allowed to go to the village, and Marcus gets basic food in
the camp β and regular questioning to try to prove he
is a spy.
A strange figure known to them only as the Blue Flyer has
been leading aerial sorties against any planes of either
side. World War One is a dramatic setting for The Shards of
Lafayette series, which intertwines the use of magic with
real events. Now, rumours spread of influenza which is
killing people across the continent.
By the end, the Flyer is revealing his Faerie talents and
the aerial adventures are back on, with the hunt for magic
items continuing across the battlefields. But the story does
take a while getting there. When the series hangs on
piloting Sopwith Camels and the like, the lack of planes
makes the start of this tale seem slow. On the other hand,
itβs a good chance to see how ordinary farming people
were affected.
Kenneth A. Baldwin has created a lasting alternative
world, with hedge witches, dastardly deeds, and principled
men on both sides. The involvement of an American pilot
breaks class barriers and the mechanic is one of many women
breaking gender barriers. CASTLES OF SAND concludes the
trilogy, but Kenneth A. Baldwin has also written the late
19th century Louella Winthrop series for those who feel they
want more of this unusual mix.
Manic and isolated, Jane struggles to form a plan that will, once again, reunite her with her best friend and free them from the grasp of a neutral nation. Meanwhile, Marcus faces the shadows of his past by coming face to face with a group of sympathetic deserters. What's worse, they really like him, and their hands-off approach to the war is as tempting as it is timely.
But the Flyer has plans, and they'll wait for nothing.
Soon, a brand new evil reaches Marcus and Jane's forced convalescence all the way from the belly of the war front. Thoughts of hiding from the violence, themselves, or even each other fly out the window as new friends, familiar enemies, and shifting alliances drag them back into the conflict. There is no stopping the creation of new magical artifacts, and their power is up for grabs.
As they pick themselves up and start mending the broken bones of their relationship, the walls of the war start tumbling down. As they fall, Marcus and Jane face impossible decisions about peace, courage, honor, and love.
And when peace is within reach, they'll have to decide what going home truly means.
Don't wait. Get your copy of the epic conclusion to the Shards of Lafayette series today!
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