Sparrowhawk, Book Two: Hugh Kenrick

As other reviewers have noted, this is really part of a single long novel in 6 volumes -- not really a standalone story. I found this to be probably the most interesting installment of the set; Hugh is the more compelling of the two heroes, I think, and Cline did a good job of portraying his intellectual development through childhood to young manhood.But.... the book was full of obvious mistakes that made me think that there are probably even worse ones in aspects the discussion of 18th-century philosophy and events with which I'm not so familiar. For example, there are horrible errors throughout the book in the use of titles and noble ranks. (E.g., the son of a marquis is not also a marquis during his father's lifetime, and would never claim to be the marquis and people would never refer to him as such or as the "younger marquis". And, the younger son of an earl would have the courtesy title "Lord Garnet" rather than "Baron Kenrick", and *his* son would be a plain "Mr.", not a lord anything.) Another gaffe that had me rolling my eyes was referring to a ship both as a 50-gun frigate and as a ship of the line; by the mid-1700s they were distinct classes of ships.There's also a gaping plot hole.... if the Earl despised his nephew so much and thought he was such a disgrace to the family name, why the heck didn't he just remarry after the death of his childless wife so he could breed an heir of his own to cut him out of the succession? Instead, the Earl is just a cardboard villain who spends the rest of the series obsessed with plotting against his nephew, and it got tiresome.I did keep chugging through and finished the six books and found enough enjoyment in the series to make me feel it was worth the time. But, this is not great literature. Besides badly needing an editor to catch goofs that detract from his writing, Cline doesn't have the skill of, say, Rafael Sabatini in weaving a good story around fictional characters in a historical setting.

Overall a good book. I felt that the legal issues in the last third of the book were overdone. While truly a picture of English society in the 18th century it just seemed to drag on and on..I was expecting a more active plan. A very philosophical tome.Enjoy it!

A true American classic, Sparrowhawk is shaping up to be one of my favorite series of all time. Not since I discovered Ayn Rand so many years ago have I been infused with newfound excitement and energy for characters one can truly admire, and events worthy of experiencing.

The writer does a outstanding job setting the historical sceen but his main character is just to perfect. He let's you forsee the plot outcomes comes. I really didn't need to read the last half of the book.

Wonderful book wonderful writer, historically thorough and very entering. I've read over a dozen of his books and have never been disappointed.

Awesome novel in the spirit of America and how because of the misgivings of England we became the greatest country ever and how the revolution came about.

"Sparrowhawk - Book 2: Hugh Kenrick" is the story of a young aristocrat, who will not let his soul be stifled by mindless tradition or conformity. As a boy, he is whipped for refusing to bow to the king's worthless son. His free spirit and active mind draw the ire of his conservative uncle, the Earl of Danvers--an ire that will grow into deadly hatred. Like Jack Frake in Book 1 of the saga, Hugh learns how dangerous thinking for yourself can be.Befriended in London by a free black man, Glorious Swain (a truly memorable character), Hugh is allowed to join the Society of the Pippin, a coffee-house debating society that dares to raise questions the aristocracy will not allow to be discussed. Author Ed Cline gives us another wrenching climax, in which treachery destroys the Pippins and only one is left alive."Sparrowhawk" is, as the author says, the story of "what kind of spirit makes possible rebellion against tyranny and corruption."Look for "Sparrowhawk - Book 3," in which Jack Frake and Hugh Kenrick meet in Virginia!

A slow developing series with an uncertain goal. Seems more a story to impress the reader with the author’s knowledge of philosophical texts and treatises-both well known and obscure. Some Greek mythology tossed in as well. Reading is disturbed by many typos, “wrong” and missing words. With all said, I will read the rest of the series to see where it’s destination may be.