The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson
| The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson | |
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| Category: Historical Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Amy Etherington
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| Summary: The Smoke Hunter is a fresh and exciting tale with a fierce heroine at its core. If you like adventure mixed with history and a bit of romance then you're in for a treat. A great read for lovers of adventure and historical fiction. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 448 | Date: November 2016 |
| Publisher: Headline | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1472238344 | |
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Eleanora Mallory is an educated young woman living in Victorian London but she is restricted by the strict social codes of the late nineteenth-century. She's a historian, a suffragette, and is years ahead of her time much to the chagrin of her male work colleagues at the Public Records Office. After losing her job and finding a mysterious map abandoned on her former employer's desk, Ellie decides to take a chance at an adventure. She packs her bags and sets off on a journey to Central America, where the map shows the way to a legendary historical city. It's the expedition of a life time, but little does Ellie know that a team of fortune hunters are hot on her trail.
I do love a good adventure story. Sometimes you just need to sit down with a book that gives you twists and turns at every opportunity and The Smoke Hunter definitely achieves that. For a novel of nearly 500 pages I flew through this surprisingly fast and while there were some parts of the plot I had a little trouble with, I must say this was a truly entertaining read. The Smoke Hunter runs along the same vein as the Indiana Jones movies – lots of fast paced action with plenty of history at its core. It was refreshing to read a historical fiction novel set outside of Europe – it's lively and exotic and if you're in the mood for some real escapism then this ticks all the boxes. Plus, if you like a bit of romance with your adventure then it's got that too. Ellie teams up with the smooth talking Adam Bates, a fellow explorer who also defies society's rules to live a life of adventure. Their relationship is fuelled by sarcasm and wit and you know pretty much where it's going from the start, but it's still a lot of fun and I liked how they bounced off one another.
As entertaining as it was, there was one thing that bothered me a little. Ellie is an extremely intelligent and well educated woman for her time, and she does give her male counterparts a run for their money. However, there comes a point where the men kind of take over the story and Ellie gets shoved to the side lines. I know this is meant to be reflective of the period but I was a little disappointed with how Ellie became a bit of a spare part while the male characters took charge of everything. Thankfully, it doesn't last throughout the whole story because Ellie is a great character and when she shines she makes a great heroine in her own right.
This was a minor issue which in retrospect didn't interrupt the fun I had with this book, because that's what it is: fun. Lots of it and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. I'll be keeping my eye out for the sequel in the future. Thank you to the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
If this book appeals to you then I recommend trying The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas which is another historical novel full of adventure.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson at Amazon.com.
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