Jacko instantly landed in Jamie’s good books the moment he saved the latter in war-torn Syria. Since then, the duo had become inseparable as they cleverly thwarted crooks, spies, and foes in and around fabled landmarks and secluded streets of Cairo all the way to the remote bushlands and rugged landscapes of the Northern Territory. Has Jacko found his love of a lifetime in Monique? Would he and Jamie succeed in their on and off World War II ventures?

This is my third in a series of new posts about Australian books on this site for 2022 and first appeared on my other blog and other platforms. It was also the second in a series of works written by Australian authors that I planned and wrote in 2019 when our author, Greg Kater, was still alive. My first had been “River Kids” by Jennie Linnane where one of the main characters of the pseudo-fiction is named Margot who also happens to live in NSW. Maybe it’s a mere coincidence; perhaps it’s not as well. Nonetheless, I wasn’t intentionally looking for a historical piece, and this one’s title wasn’t my idea of a recreational read even if I used to be a naval officer in my past life. However, I found nothing to complain about at all.

When I began to read its pages, I chanced upon a specific detail that hooked me earlier on. One of my past jobs here in Australia involved working as part of a skills, education, and employment program catering to remote communities. One of the most notable ones had been Tennant Creek. Although I’ve never been there physically as my tasks were all done remotely in support of onsite staff, this specific detail brought this piece closer enough to tug at my heartstrings and to keep me reading despite my genre preferences.

The manuscript was almost impeccably written with only two very minor errors on its 324 pages. It may have had a splash of French, local Aussie languages and diminutives, and other dialects within the dialogues, but they were easily understandable through context analysis and even enhanced the development, plausibility, and relatability of its characters. Each scene or event was appropriately portrayed against vivid backdrops and descriptions of its setting. The simple narratives balanced out the socio-cultural variations and ensured clear, smooth, steady, and decisive transitions and flows . Yet it wasn’t boring and uneventful either as there were mini-cliffhangers that kept me curious to read further. There are enough twists and turns to ponder on. Although it had war and other sensitive themes not suitable to young readers, it didn’t have the gross and graphic details that could potentially scar one for life. Music even graced a few nooks of its pages. Without the usual drama or theatrics, I still somehow sensed a pervading hope for resolution, justice, and peace despite everything.

War and conflict may normally give us some negative connotations, but this piece wasn’t that bad at all. With the fuss, buzz, hype, and perfect review ratings I’ve noticed so far about it, reading the story made me eventually realise the good reasons why. I was hoping for a different ending, but I guess that even gave me a reason to read the second book.

Book Details

• Title: The Warramunga’s War
• Author: Greg Kater
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Publication Date: 12 January 2018
• ISBN or ASIN: 0648160742
• Number of Pages: 304
• Minimum Audience Age: 18

Book Themes

(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)

• Sexual themes: 1
• Religious themes: 0
• Violence, self-harm, etc.: 2
• Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 1
• Other adult themes: 4

Rating

• Content: 5 stars
• Writing Style: 5 stars
• Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
• Uniqueness: 5 stars
• Editing: 5 stars
• Other factors: 5 stars
• Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

Views expressed are the review author’s own.

For more posts like this, here’s the link: https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/category/bookish-posts/.

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