The King’s Shilling by Patrick Goodrow

Jack Hawkins is an enterprising character. He is inspiring in the way he willingly and dutifully gets down and dirty. Jack is a man of strength. He is admirable. He is easily the most likeable character in this book. The author has performed a full dimensional sculpting of this character. 

This would not be complete without pointing this out, Molly’s loyalty and faith in her man is so profound. It is special. She is an excellent woman. The author has done a good job with this character. Five stars for character development.

This is a fresh take on war tales. It is not about the guy at the front yelling orders. It is about the guy at the bottom taking the commands. The guy who barely ever gets recognized for his invaluable contribution to the battle. This makes for an incredibly interesting and intriguing read. It is rare and oh so welcome. Kudos for the plot. 

The author’s description of the whole process from enlisting to actually being on the battleground and the events that follow is immersive. He leaves nothing out. There is a lot to learn from this story even just from the preparation phase. The sequence of events is properly arranged. Prose flows effortlessly. Despite being fictional, the book is well researched with all sorts of old timey weapons and kitchen implements. 

The prologue is merely a back-story. However, this particular one is quite bland. It sounds like a boring history textbook. It does not help the reader perk up for the adventure that will follow.