Legend of the Jewel

By N. C. Allen

Reviewed by Millie Holyoak
On 12/4/2008

Covenant Communications, 2008 Softcover:
245 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1-59811-618-2
ISBN-10: 1-59811-618-5 Price: $15.95

The general setting of this book is unique. It is placed in post-Civil War times and has three Americans for the main characters, but it takes place in England and India. Each of the main characters is dealing with a personal problem: Isabelle is recovering physically and emotionally from trying, and failing, to rescue President Abraham Lincoln from being shot; Sally, her traveling companion, is from the South and is adjusting to having both of her parents die in the war; while James, a Mormon blacksmith from Utah, is searching for his lost brother.

There are plot twists and surprises enough for the seasoned mystery buff, and the reader gets to experience well described aspects of India as well. Part of the plot involves an English/Indian uprising called the Sepoy Rebellion that will appeal to the historians in the crowd. The descriptions and the way people behave in the aftermath of the rebellion are also well written and very telling. The reader can see the effects of man’s inhumanity to man.

The book was a little slow starting. However, she made up for it in the adventure that came later. It was interesting to get to know the main characters and watch the romance develop. It will be fun in later books to see where we go with the personalities and backgrounds of the people we meet here.

There was one place where the first really important event took place where there wasn’t enough detail in some ways and too much in others. About 45 pages in, some bad guys are getting rid of a character for someone. The reader could have been left more in the dark and been left to wonder, along with the rest of the book’s characters, what happened to her. Since it is all explained later on, this would have been okay. Or the author could have explained better what was going on.

This was a fun book to read. We get to take post-Civil War trains and boats and visit jungles and things. The ambiance was good. The story line was well organized and cohesive. This being the first of a series, the ending left a couple of loose ends, but there are enough satisfying answers to questions by the end of the book that the reader can wait patiently for the next installment.


Copyright 2008