A. S. PetersonRecensioni

Orphans and Pirates, but not quite Peter Pan. Not a bad tale, not for young kids with subject matter and language. A few hard to believe details, but mostly a good story. Part I of a two part series.

Orphans and Pirates, but not quite Peter Pan. Not a bad tale, not for young kids with subject matter and language. A few hard to believe details, but mostly a good story. Part I of a two part series.

Enjoyable well-written short story by A.S. Peterson. He certainly loves to tell a tall-tale. I'd recommend reading Peterson's earlier Fin's Revolution Duology first as it references that material heavily. If I had not read those books previously I probably would have missed out on some of the richness of this short story.

I won this from a goodreads giveaway.
The back of the book had a short summary that I almost wish I hadn't read. I think it would have been more enjoyable going in with no ideas about the characters.

This is part one of a two book series basically about the Revolutionary War, Piracy, Love, Sin, and Redemption.

The main character Fin Button is left at an orphanage for not being a boy, and thereby begins her journey through life of not fitting in. She lives life by her own rules. There are only two people who ever seem to accept her the way she is: The orphanage cook with a mysterious past and her best friend/love Peter.
It took a few chapters for me to like Fin and be able to fully understand her. Looking back, I don't think the beginning was too slow, its more that the book was like a snowball rolling and it took time to gain momentum. The writing throughout was so beautiful. The author definitely has a gift with words. I thought the book was very exciting, sad in parts, and completely realistic, although I usually don't read pirate books. Probably the weakest part for me was the romance and strangely that only effected how much I liked the book a little bit. I thought the plot was well planned out and executed nicely with a few twists and turns that kept me reading way too late into the night. I would like to read the sequel.

Summary: Phinea Button was abandoned at a South Carolina orphanage by parents who had already produced twelve girls. Fin grows up to be quite a tomboy, more interested in playing with her only friend, Peter, and getting into fights than in becoming a proper lady. The sisters in charge of the orphanage, despairing of her behavior, place Fin in the kitchen to assist Bartimaeus, the aging cook. Bartimaeus takes Fin under his wing, but when his dark past catches up to him, Fin's life is thrown into turmoil once more. And it's not just Fin's life; the entire colony is in a state of unrest, chafing under British rule on the eve of the American Revolution. Fin has a series of encounters with British soldiers before she makes a rash decision that has her fleeing from the orphanage, and finding work on a sailing ship. But while Fin loves the ocean and its accompanying sense of freedom, she's still dogged by her past and her new-found reputation... and the accompanying danger that will come to threaten everything she holds dear.

Review: On the whole, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It had a number of story elements that I tend to really like, including girls dressing as boys to join the military (well, a trading ship with a letter of marque in this case, but same difference), and nautical adventures and piracy. The prose is well-written, very lyrical and evocative yet still easy to read. Fin's a great character, and watching her funnel her insecurities and loneliness and heartbreak into her fierce stubborn independence felt familiar and real. I found myself thinking about her when I had to put the book down, and I was always eager to pick it back up, which is a good sign for any novel.

However, I had a few issues with this book that are only cropping up now that I've finished. First, while Peterson uses the American Revolution as a backdrop to his story, it doesn't come into play until late-ish in the book, and in the early chapters, his setting is not as clearly evoked as it could have been. If I hadn't known better, I might have thought that the early chapters in the orphanage took place in the Great Depression rather than pre-revolutionary times. It's not the kind of story that requires large swaths of description about the furniture and the dresses, etc., but if the setting's going to be important later, it's worth talking about the furniture and the dresses at least a little to properly set your stage, y'know?

Secondly, I can't help but compare Fin to Jacky Faber from the Bloody Jack series. They're about 30 years apart, and hail from different sides of the Atlantic, but otherwise Fin and Jacky are just so similar. Both orphans, both disguised as a boy to join the crew of a sailing ship, both somewhat unwittingly turn pirate, both have a fearsome bloodthirsty reputation (with appropriate nickname) back on shore, both in love with a boy they don't see for months or years at a time, both wanted by the British for their crimes, etc., etc. The books are obviously geared towards different demographics, and are very different in tone, but their narrators are so similar that it's impossible for me not to compare them... and while Jacky's just as fierce and courageous and stubborn as Fin is, she's also a lot more lively. Not that I didn't enjoy The Fiddler's Gun - I did, for sure - but in comparison it just felt like it was missing the tiniest bit of spark. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Worth reading for people who like historical fiction, books about the American Revolution, orphans, and/or pirates.

2011 is turning out to be the "year of pirate books (tm)" for me. Between The Princess Bride, Fiddler's Green and upcoming Steel, I am definitely getting my fill of piratey-books - which is okay by me!

But this is a review about the marvelous Fiddler's Green.

Let me just say that I waited with bated breath for this sequel. I picked up The Fiddler's Gun last year and devoured it in one short plane ride. I was so caught up in the story that several people sitting across from me, beside me (and including the flight attendants) asked me what I was reading and why it was affecting me so much. I happily told them (I couldn't show them as it was on my Kindle) and a few of them made a note of the title.

I then passed around my autographed copy of The Fiddler's Gun to several members of my book club. And I'll be doing the same with Fiddler's Green. Pete, I knew you were a damn good writer after reading The Fiddler's Gun, but man - you outdid yourself on Fiddler's Green.

This book tugged at my heartstrings, it had action and adventure and this male author managed to capture the voice of a female and all of her longings and wishes in a way that I wish I could write. I loved each and every character, main and secondary, brief and long-lasting though their times were.

With a story set place during the American Revolution, much of the time spent in Fiddler's Green is at sea. The descriptions of every day life on a ship and of life as a sailor were so vivid I could see it all clearly in my imagination - and I know very little about it all! I'm sounding a bit like a fangirl but when you come across a book that you love so much, it's really hard not to. This book gave me everything my heart desired in a book and the only regret I felt was when I closed it and put it down after reading the last few words.

These two books are fantastic. Everything about them is. This is a sequel that stands up strong next to the first book and both are more than worthy to grace anyone's bookshelves.

I can't wait to see what this talented author has coming up next.

In this sequel to The Fiddler's Gun, Fin is captain of the Rattlesnake, hanging out with some less-than-lawful characters, and is an outlaw herself. She can win a pardon if she can manage to sail through Barbary pirates and rescue a kidnapped countess. So how can Christian knights possibly enter into the story? They do, and in a major way.

Fin made some really poor and cruel decisions, and I didn't like her as much as I did in the first book. Some of what she did seemed out of character to me. I loved the character Dr. Thigham who, oh my, oh dear, told all his patients that they were going to die.

This book is darker and more violent than the first. As in the first book, there is real history mixed into the story, and I enjoy that. The story is well written and entertaining, but I liked The Fiddler's Gun a bit more. While this one can be read as a standalone novel, I think readers will enjoy it more if they first read the earlier book.

Thank you to author Mr. Peterson for giving me a copy of The Fiddler's Gun. This is a fast-paced and fun book for anyone who wants to read about orphans and pirates, the days of America's fight for independence, and one tough female protagonist. Fin was originally named Phineas by a mother hoping to soften a father's heart to the birth of yet another daughter. Still, she ended up in a Georgia orphanage, wild and rebellious, with only fellow orphan Peter for a friend. So where do the pirates come in? Where did the fiddle come from? I'm not telling. And if you like to discover plot for yourself, don't read too much of the back cover.

Although not marketed as a YA novel as far as I know, I think The Fiddler's Gun would be an excellent story for teens old enough to handle some violence – hey, there are pirates, who's ever heard of pacifist pirates? It certainly beats reading yet another vampire book, and the history thrown in for good measure is interesting and painless. I've got the sequel, Fiddler's Green, on my nightstand and ready to read, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Recommended for pirates at heart of all ages.

This story is about Phinea Michael Button, who should have been born a boy, but wasn't. Phinea "Fin" Button is a fictional character but the story of the novel is based on a number of historical people, places, and events such as Nancy Hart (The Georgia War Woman), America's first orphanage in Ebenezer, Georgia, the Battle of the Rice Boats, and other events of the Revolutionary War. It is full of adventure, action and piracy! The Fiddler's Gun is the first of two books.

Phineas(Fin for short) Button was left on the doorstep of Ebenezer orphanage in Georgia 17 years ago. Fin has grown up to become quite the tomboy, much to the Baab Sisters despair, she ought to have behaved like a lady and worn pretty dresses and a bonnet over her hair. When the opportunity to do some carpentering presents itself Fin hopes to get chosen for the job, instead she is chosen to kitchen duty. Needless to say Fin is really disappointed but she finds comfort and friendship in the orphanage's cook, Bartimeous Gann.Just when everything seems to be going Fin's way a dramatic incident occurs and Fin's life will never ever be the same. This book has it all; adventure, America on the brink of war with England, piracy, friendship, love and redemption.I finished this book late in January and I've spent a long time pondering how to write the review this book deserves. The Fiddler's Gun is a brilliant historical adventure and I so hope this review reflects that.You know how a book sometimes stays with you even when you're not reading it you still think about the characters in the story and wonder how they are doing and what they are up to? The Fiddler's Gun is that kind of book. I'm taking a chance here telling you this, maybe there are others like me out there or maybe I'm just crazy feeling that way about some books? I couldn't stop thinking about Fin and her adventure among pirates, soldiers and sailors. Author A.S. Peterson has a gift with words, he writes beautifully! I cannot wait for the second and last book about Fin, The Fiddler's Green, to come out!The story takes place in a America at a time where America and England are on the brink of war. We meet our heroine Fin Button in an orphanage in Ebenezer, Georgia. Fin struggles to be herself while others try to teach her how to be a proper lady, to be the more like the female ideal of her time. There is just two people in Fin's life that accepts her just the way she is; her best friend Pete and her friend and tutor the cook Bartimaeus.Just when thing starts to work out for Fin something terrible happens. Fin has to run away to protect herself and the people she loves. But how can Fin survive all on her own, she has no money, no food, no nothing. After searching a bit Fin, quite by coincidence, gets a job at a ship called Rattlesnake. Fin is strong, brave and good but she has a touch of evil in her as well, a great three dimensional character. For those of us who likes a dash of romance there is a little bit of that in the book as well.I don't want to write much more about the book, you really should buy it and read this wonderful adventure. This book is great both for young adults and adults alike!

Wow! This has left me reeling! Meet Fin Button. She is seventeen years of age and has spent all but the first seven days of her life in an orphanage. Despite the nuns' desire to make her into a young lady, Fin has other ideas. Rather than sit with a needle and thread, she is out punching the daylights out of her fellow unruly male orphans, wearing pants, cursing, and she would much rather use a hammer and saw than be stuck in a kitchen all day. Unfortunately for Fin tho, the nuns do put her in a kitchen all day, but it is in this kitchen that she makes good friends with Bartimaeus, a former pirate "saved" from a life of crime.

While Fin wreaks havoc in the orphanage, America is on the verge of the revolutionary war with England. It is no surprise that such an independent, headstrong gal like Fin sides with those for independence and there is no love lost between her and the Red Coats. Unfortunately, an ill planned run away attempt goes sour causing Fin much distress with the above mentioned Red Coats, especially when they go after her dear Bartimaeus. She ends up running away again, this time leaving six dead Red Coats in her wake. She can never go back and this means leaving behind her boyfriend, Peter just days before they are due to wed.

With only a fiddle and a gun named Betsy, Fin turns to the sea. From here on out it is barroom brawls, piracy, mutiny, sword fighting, storms, capture, escape, canons shooting, and even a treasure map discovery. Assuming Fin survives the high seas, will she make it back to the orphanage and Peter? Will Peter even be waiting for her after two long years? Will she bring trouble back with her? After all, where Fin goes, trouble is soon to follow... And what of this treasure?

There are great secondary stories too. Bart is an old man who thought he had escaped his past, but discovers the past catches up. Fin deals with a lot of inner turmoil regarding her desire to be accepted by others and she questions her faith at difficult times.

I found it just a bit preposterous at first that a seventeen year old girl is allowed to run around free and in pants to boot in the 1700s, but had the author stuck to historical accuracy in this case, the fun would have diminished considerably. This is a young adult book and just extremely FUN. However, I feel adults will enjoy it just as much if not more. Fin is a very likable, spunky, fiesty, and very strong heroine. No damsels in distress here!

If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! The Fiddler’s Gun is set in Ebenezer, a suburb of Savannah, GA. Phinea Button is a young woman who has lived in an orphanage since she was an infant. Phinea, more affectionately known as Fin to the other orphans, was a tomboy and a troublemaker, often pulling pranks on the women who ran the orphanage. The younger orphans considered Fin to be their protector, getting into a number of fights with the older kids who were being bullies.

In an effort to civilize Fin into a proper lady, Fin was sent to work in the kitchen with Bartimaeus. It’s there that Fin begins to learn about the war that’s brewing and the oppression of the colonies from the British government. Initially, Fin hopes to avoid the coming war because all she wants is to marry her best friend Peter, who was also an orphan. When British soldiers begin to show a greater presence in the area, the situation goes sour.

Fin has a bad run-in with some soldiers, which leads to events that inadvertently throw her into the war. Having no choice, Fin must leave her home and Peter. In Savannah, Fin is mistaken for a boy and pressed into work on a merchant ship. While at sea, Fin encounters British marines, dangerous seas, pirates, and more! From sea battles to treasure hunts, there is no lack of excitement in Fin’s life once the British come to town!

I can’t recommend this book enough! I was instantly drawn to the book by the attractive cover! A number of people have asked me what I’m reading because the cover art caught their attention. The title is written in a very cool script that integrates the design of a fiddle down the middle. In the foreground, there is a ship’s wheel and branches covered in Spanish moss, and in the background you can see a ship on the ocean. You immediately gain a sense of adventure on the high seas just from looking at the cover!

The writing was fantastic and flowed well. Throughout the book, the author constantly introduces the reader to new characters. Even with so many characters, I never had trouble keeping track of who was who or who was speaking. You learn the history behind the primary characters, and grow attached to them as you learn about their lives. I found myself crying a couple of times! I love how each detail ends up tying back into the main plot. Characters and even personal items that initially seem insignificant come to light later in the book as the key to some incredibly important situation (Think “Tom Riddle’s Diary” in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and how you learn the true significance of it in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince).

The plot itself was very interesting, keeping my attention throughout the book. I couldn’t put it down! The plot is initially a bit slow as Fin is dealing with life at the orphanage, but within a few chapters, the story is off and running as Fin escapes to a life at sea. Once Fin joins the crew of the ‘Snake, there’s a never ending deluge of activity keeping Fin and the crew busy. The author manages to mentally paint every scene for the reader, describing everything from the appearance of the ship deck to the stench of the guy standing nearby. You become so immersed in the story that you feel like you’re standing on deck with the crew!

This was my first foray into historical fiction based around the Revolutionary War, and I couldn’t have had a better introduction! This book has so many great plot elements- a strong, independent heroine, adventure, patriotism, pirates, treasure, sword fights, romance… I could go one for ages! You really must try this book! It will make you laugh out loud, cry, and everything in between! If you buy it from The Rabbit Room (the link to the left), and you get the book club bundle, the books are all signed! Give it a read! I can’t wait for Book Two!