Reviewer: Chavel47 Anonymous
Date: 03 Feb 2013 09:52 pm Title: Chapter 1
While other people are riveted to the Superbowl Game, I’ve been riveted to the adventures of the Cartwright family. As I stated in an earlier review in book 4, I need all my will power to put down the iPad and do my work or go to sleep. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and read another chapter before falling back to sleep. And, since this is Sunday, it provided another good excuse to sit and read.
Your stories have so many twists and turns. There were many moments between Adam and Joe that brought tears to my eyes. Highlights include when they first met on the trail, Adam coming up with a plan for Joe to warn the Indian camp, and the three boys in Joe’s room before the wedding. I also laughed when Adam joked with his pa about getting a tanning. Here he is a man who commands a ship, but in some ways, he as well as his brothers, will always remain in one little corner of his father’s heart the little baby born so many years ago.
Author’s Response: O it is so exciting to read a review like this, Chavel47, you can only imagine how it brings alive all the words that were written in that story and parades before me the characters that took part. I am glad you enjoyed the time with Joe and Adam, and how things developed there. Yes I think you are right about Ben keeping a corner of his heart for his little boys, and I really believe they love to think that also, it keeps them feeling ‘safe’. Many thanks for reviving my enthusiasm and motiviation, Chavel47. Krystyna
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Reviewer: jcg Anonymous
Date: 08 Jan 2013 03:30 pm Title: Chapter 1
Such wonderful writing. Held me spellbound –lost 6 hours of sleep last night.
Been thinking about story all day. Thank you very much. Hardly ever review (which I realize is wrong) but read every written word by all the authors.
Author’s Response: jcg:Oh dear, hope you managed to get through the day alright with that amount of loss of sleep. jcg, thank you so much for this review, it means so much to me to have read it and to know how much you enjoyed it. There are others in the series which I hope you will also enjoy but do make sure you sleep well … I was quite excited at the thought that you had been thinking about the story all day, that is one of the best compliments a reader can give a writer, a very big thank you for that …Krystyna
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Reviewer: BluewindFarm Signed
Date: 07 Jan 2013 05:44 pm Title: Chapter 1
Another phenomenal installment in the Captain Cartwright series.
The intrigue that followed Adam and how all the pieces finally came together was wonderfully crafted. The twists and the turns back home were truly riveting as the story unfolded and came to a satisfying conclusion.
Eagerly awaiting Grant’s next orders for Adam.
Author’s Response: Realy so very pleased that you have enjoyed reading this installment , Bluewind Farm. The story grows so long due to readers participation when it is posted as a w.i.p so all thanks to them as well for some of the twists and turns. The research re the American cadre in Egypt was interesting too, threw up some interesting characters. Most of all though, thank you for reading it and leaving me a review here. I am so glad you found the stories and like them so much. Krystyna
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Reviewer: AMG Anonymous
Date: 07 Jan 2013 01:05 pm Title: Chapter 1
Aaaaaah… Now that was a sigh of pure pleasure. Even though I’ve read it more than once, even tough I’ve saved it on my hard drive like al of your stories, I still couldn’t pull myself away from the story – again. You are a wondrous story-teller, Krystyna, and your care for details amazes me again and anew.
Thank you for the wonderful read yet again.
Author’s Response: Hi AMG: Believe me the pleasure is all mine, I got such a thrill when I read a review on any of the Captain Cartwright stories . Thank you so very much for venturing here to read this again, and I so very much appreciate all the kind words you have put down here, I truly do, thank you, AGM. Krystyna
It´s not easy to know where to begin, because it is such a great story, as allways.
Poor Adam gets send away, because Grant wants him out of the way. Egypt must have been fascinating for Adam. I like the picture of him as a Bedouin, too. My favourite scene is the one with the horse, when he goes on his back and calms the horse. Also how difficult it must be to see all the poor people and not to be able to do anything. I think it´s pretty telling when Rachel recognized him to be american, because he moved her out of harms way, knowing that an Bedouin wouldn´t have cared. My dislike for Grant growed as he told Adam in a letter what happened at home in between. As if he really cared.
Well at home. I like Milton and his bond with Hester. Ingrid is a horrible woman and she deserved everything that happened to her. Joe is up to his own self, when he sees a woman. Oh Joe.
Joe and the militia. Joe just can´t listen to his Pa and gets himself in trouble. Thankfully Pa came to the rescue. And there is another romance between Joe and a woman we know from another part. I am a little angry with Joe in that part. He has to go into indian territory to help and Adam has to go to help him. Poor Adam can´t even enjoy his vacation, because he has to help his little brother. But there are some great scenes in that part of the story, with the indians, with Custer and how difficult it is for Adam, because he can´t interfere to openly, because he is an officer in the Navy and has to obey the rules.
There is a new addition to the family and the description when Little Hannah looks at her uncles is so sweet.
And then we have Barbara and Andrew. I am glad the Cartwrights help her solve the problem.
What terrific stories you write Krystyna. I love this series of yours and the one that follows too, I am a great re=reader, and i thinks this is my third time round now.
You capture the whole family so well, but particularly Adam.
I like the historical detail and the real characters intermixed with the fictional, you must spend quite a lot of time on research.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you for such a super review, psw. I love the tactful way you handled each major character and summarised their contribution to the story so well. Oh yes, indeed, Adam with facial hair in this story and in his ‘ disguise’ is delicious…thank you so much for taking time out to read the story and send me this review
Well, I hardly know where to start — there was so much going on here, so many different threads, and I hesitate to delve too deeply as almost everything I say would be a spoiler should someone read the reviews before embarking upon the story. That said …
Adam: Does seem like the perfect person for such a task. He would definitely put his whole mind into it, and get the job done no matter how much he disliked it. (I would also just like to say — I’m a big fan of facial hair, I can picture it and it is nice. :-P) Glad it was all straightened out and he got home in time for the many and varied forms of craziness happening back in the States.
Hoss: Yay Hoss and Hester (and family)!! 🙂 🙂
Joe: I was so upset about the loss of his faithful old friend. Very sad. But I’m happy for his new happiness, and that he seems finally able to put to rest his feelings of obligation to his past (though I’m sure that will come and go — it’s human nature).
Ben: Yes, he’s getting older. Parents do. Mine are, too …
Candy: I was glad he got a couple of punches in before the end. Also, good for him and Ann! Seems a good setup for all, and the Cs won’t have to worry about their water rights anymore …
Andrew: ?!?!?! He went off the deep end in more ways than one, and it’s good that situation has finally been resolved (however it happened).
Anyhoo, kudos for pulling together so many diverse plot lines into yet another chapter of life on the Ponderosa (and abroad). It’s an interesting and fun look at what life might have been like had they done what everyone would have liked to see — married, settled down, started families of their own … Thanks so much for writing!
Oh please do not worry about anything being disjointed, it was just about the best comment on this story for ages and so very encouraging. I think Invictus is the longest story I have written in the series so you did so very well in getting through it. I was re-reading it recently and thought that perhaps I should have split it into two so that the journey into Indian territory would have been a seperate tale.
Ha.ha so you liked the picture of Adam as a Beduoin? It was Grimesgirl’s idea to send him off to Egypt and I was really pleased to see all the history that involved the Americans so was able to do a lot of research about Stone and the cadre of American officers who really did so much in the way of mapping out Africa and Egypt at the time.
Thank you also for your reference to Lilith and Barbara, and their situation…domestic abuse is a feature of social life that never seems to go away, and using Barbara whom readers would be able to remember from Right is the Fourth R would make it feel more personal and relevant. I really appreciated that you referred to that, AC, as it could have been lost in the other main points of the story.
Well, yes, Carpe Diem is a tough one, but Adam finds ‘love conquers all’ … A New Command is the real ouch toughie but I guess I should leave you to enjoy our Commodore facing hell!
Many thanks again, AC1830
Well, Krystyna, you’ve done it again. Off to another land, danger and intrigue abounding, then back home with a major detour through Indian territory. I do feel for Adam and sometimes I wonder what keeps him going back to Grant and not resigning his commission. I did love how Adam stood up to Grant and the others concerning the Indian affairs. I was cheering for him all the way down the hall. He and Custer do make quite a pair and it’s a good thing Adam and Joe left when they did. I have to admit I was quite worried about Joe’s ‘demise’ getting back to Adam. I felt it with him, even though I knew the truth. And finally, I have to say my favorite image of Adam had to be as the Bedouin.
It’s been mentioned that Cassandra was a piece of work (I fully agree) but Ingrid was an art form unto herself. One just never knew what she would do next.
The story with Barbara was heart-wrenching, but you painted her situation so well. Everyone felt the frustrations of the times and dear sweet Lilith being the ultimate heroine. Now they can begin to put their lives back together with several friends watching out for them.
I truly loved the family scenes, everything on the Ponderosa. It just seems so natural for Adam to be there and I find it amazing how easily he slips back into that roll. I’m looking forward to his retirement in the future but alas he still has some work to do for his country.
Sorry if all this seems a bit disjointed. There were so many good things to mention I just decided to hit the highlights. I’m off to the next story. From what I’ve noticed (in reading some comments) it’s going to be a difficult one. This story was a bit of a respite from the previous ones in which you couldn’t be sure just who to trust. Now our dear Adam is heading into an dangerous situation. I’ll just have to fasten my seat belt and hang on, for what would our Bonanza world be without the ultimate villain showing up from time to time? I’m also looking forward to more of the family life at home.