Rating: 
Summary: Riveting
Review: After reading the previous customer reviews, I think there's not much more I can add. Wilbur Smith is a wonderful writer and I will, without hestitation, buy any book with his name on it. I first started reading his books after seeing the movie "Shout At The Devil" and have been an ardent fan ever since. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Smith and get some of my books signed when he attended a convention in Las Vegas. He is a delightful person. He was the guest speaker at a dinner and I so much enjoyed listening to his stories. There seems to be a main thread through the previous reviews and I echo the sentiment: Do we have to wait 2 more years to read more about the Courtneys? I think Mr. Smith is bringing us full circle to "When The Lion Feeds". Thank you Mr. Smith for many, many enjoyable hours of reading!
Rating:
Summary: Smith writes another saga
Review: Sea battles, love scenes, trips to primitive Africa, wars between pirates and sailors fighting ship-to-ship or between armies riding camels, and insights to developing nations and their people during explosive times of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries makes "Monsoon" yet another epic from Wilbur Smith. Only a handful of twentieth century writers tantalize our senses as well as Smith. Sensuous scenes, three-dimensional characters, meticulous research and weaving plots place him among the best selling writers in history; twenty-six novels, translated into twenty-six languages, have sold 80 million copies. Other works include River God, its sequel The Seventh Scroll, Birds of Prey, and now its sequel, Monsoon. Hal Courtney, a young man in Birds of Prey, is middle-aged, a rich landowner, and the father of four sons; Tom and Guy, seventeen-year-old twins, age eleven Dorian, and their half-brother, William (24), called "Black Billy" by his siblings, and for good reason. Tom, like Hal, is smart, a master swordsman, and natural leader. Guy is bitter, vengeful, and jealous of Tom. Dorian is smart, cunning and also a born leader. Pirates continually plunder "The East India Trading Company" ships and cargo. With the Crown's blessings, Hal assembles former shipmates, including Aboli, Ned Tyler, and Big Daniel, and sails for Africa to seek-and-destroy pirates. Taking Tom, Guy, and Dorian, he leaves William home to look after family holdings. During battle, Hal loses both legs and Tom assumes command. Previously, Guy left to take a post with the East India Trading Company and later becomes an ambassador to India. Pirates capture Dorian and imprison him before selling him to slavers. An Arab sheik, who believes Dorian is a prophecy come true because of his red hair and green eyes as the prophecy predicted, buys him. Tutored and taught by nobility, Dorian grows to manhood and becomes an army general. His cunning and battle skills turn him into a legend. As the years pass, Tom's name also becomes legendary as a great warrior, on land and the high seas. While on a trip to England, he kills William during an argument and must then hide from the English government, now bent on his destruction. Fleeing back to Africa, Tom establishes a settlement and hunts for gold and ivory. He also helps Aboli free thousands of slaves by killing slave traders. Unknown to Tom and Dorian, their paths will cross again and in a way that will make your heart pound. Kirkus Reviews said, "Smith 'overstuffed' each paragraph of this cutless-and- pistol epic. . ." I agree. But, Smith is a rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship to maintain a blistering-paced saga from beginning to end. His "paragraph stuffing" works well. From Publishers Weekly; "Clever plot twists and lavish historical detail attend the siblings adventures as they battle pirates, slavers, assassins, their own government, and each other. A smooth blend of adventure and romance, the novel is an atmospheric trip through the fierce mysteries of the Dark Continent and the Arabian Seas."Harry Odum is a published author and president of The Literary Review Service
Rating:
Summary: One of his best
Review: We have read all of Wilber Smith's books, and found this one to rank up with Hungry as the Sea, Seveth Scroll and River God. We have yet to be disapointed by any of his books.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Wilbur Smith ..... Excellent and spellbinding
Review: A wonderful read that is hard to put down. The characters and the backdrops are romantically believable and captivating. The action is descriptive and non-stop. Smith has a way of taking you to Africa with him. A wonderful addition to the Courtney series. You will mourn the end of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment followed by disppointment.
Review: I was introduced to Wilbur Smith by the "River God" Which I loved, as well as as "The Seventh Scroll" and "Elephant Song". I couldn't wait to read what came next. I was sorely disappointed by the cheap Harlequin novel set on the sea that was "Birds of Prey." It was boring, predictable and unimaginative. After reading the reviews of the sequel "Monsoon" I held out hope that was rescue in sight, only to be disappointed again. Boring, predictable and unimaginative repeated.
Rating:
Summary: Wilbur has outdone himself once more.
Review: After Birds of Prey ended, I hungered for more rousing adventures with Hal, Aboli and crew. After a harsh two year wait, my excitement reached its zenith, and I was rewarded with Monsoon. A continually enthralling, always awe-inspiring sequel, Monsoon never allowed for any breathing space. I followed eagerly the ongoing trials and tribulations of these Courtney ancestors from beginning to end, and was left feeling that they were a part of my own family. I enjoyed every minute of it. I look forward to the next one, so please Wilbur, make it a year's break, not two!
Rating:
Summary: Wilbur has done it again!
Review: I have been reading Wilbur for almost 30 years since growing up in Australia. For the longest time after moving to the US, my brother was on strict orders to send me the new books whenever they hit the store as Wilbur was unknown here. I loved this book, and can't wait for the next one - get to work, Mr. Smith!! My big question while reading this book was who is the direct ancestor of Sean? If you don't know who Sean Courtney is - read 'When the Lion Feeds' ( or is it 'The Sound of Thunder'? I always forget which came first. Enjoy Thanks, Wilbur
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful sequel
Review: As a true Smith fan I hold my breath between his books, and this wait was well worth it! Although The River God remains my all time favourite Monsoon is breathtaking. And the best part... the end leaves so much promise for the sequel! A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous as usual !
Review: I was fortunate to be able to purchase Monsoon when it appeared on the newstands in South Africa while on holiday in Cape Town. The way it looks like there will be at least 4 sequels to it to bring us to the present times and I am gratefull to Mr. Smith for this book as well as all previous ones (I have read all), he made me love South Africa even before visiting it. I do have how ever a comment to make, both of Monsoon and Birds of Prey, please Mr. Smith try not to describe wounds and battles and torn limbs in such details, this was not your style in the past. Let me hear when the sequel to Monsoon comes, Xmas 1999 or January 2000 ?????
Rating:
Summary: Another block-buster story by a block-buster author.
Review: I picked up my first novel by Wilbur Smith in a little bookstore in London in 1980, and have been addicted ever since. At a time when so much of today's "literature" has lost plot and character development, Smith stays true to his craft and talent by telling a heart-pounding story peopled by colorful and unforgettable characters. As so many others have said, he is simply the best fiction writer of our time.
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