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The split between Catholicism and Protestantism is ripping sixteenth-century England apart with fire and blood. A young Englishman who would be a sailor, Robin Wakefield, has a personal and painful reason for the hatred he holds toward one side of the split. But as the tides of religious war threaten to shift, Robin's thirst for vengeance may cost him more than he's ready to pay in The Winds of God by author Gilbert Morris.

It's the awesome Wakefield book covers and my diehard love for historical fiction that drew me to continue on to this second book in The Wakefield Dynasty series.

I think Book Two is better written than the first. While the overuse of exclamation points still gives the impression that the characters (and sometimes the narrator) are shouting more than necessary, the use and repetition of adverbs isn't nearly as excessive in this second book.

Now, I wish the characters and relationships had more natural development and that the story's romantic aspects unfolded with more depth. Also, though the novel gives a relatively cursory look into all the intrigue surrounding historical players like Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Mary, Queen of Scots, those figures essentially overshadow the main characters while the Wakefield family's storyline seems to amble along before it gains solid footing.

Even so, the setting and historical significance kept me interested in the events overall. And although the sharp twist at the end is too convenient (and treated with triumph too fast), the crux of Robin's journey makes compelling sense for his character.

I plan on reading at least one more book in this old-fashioned ChristFic saga. ( )