Patriot at the River: A Novel of the American Revolution

This book is guaranteed to steal your breath. Wow! What a great continuation in the For Liberty and Conscience series.

I loved Preacher on the Run, the first book in the series, but Jayna's writing just keeps getting better. With rich historical detail, Patriot at the River brings the North Carolina landscape to life during the American Revolutionary War.

Benjamin makes for a wonderful main character. On the outside, he has the perfect skill sets to bring to the war. But internally, he's not ready for this fight. The tension of his battle with himself and his desperation for revenge heighten the conflict.

And speaking of characters, Jayna always does an excellent job of creating secondary characters worth caring about. Aunt Kate, Rane, and Jem all made for fun scenes of their own. Each of them also provided a spectrum of differences in beliefs, convictions, and values that added depth to the story.

And one last point must be made about the characters. This series has the best returning characters. Beginning this book felt like revisiting old friends who gave personal introductions to the new characters.

Part of what brought this story to life the most was the little-known history facts woven into the tapestry of the book. Tiny details leaped to life. Aunt Kate's foraging and home remedies were especially fun to read about. I loved the author's note at the end which provided the facts behind many of these historical scenes.

In the grander scheme of things, the Revolutionary War battles were vivid and lifelike without being gory (a big yay!). I like fights, but battlefields aren't my go-to setting. Usually there's too much blood and not enough character interaction. Not so with this book. Patriot at the River holds the perfect balance.

More than that, Patriot at the River has enough emotional charge to make these big battles feel personally involved. I guess the overarching strategy becomes more important when you know it's going to affect someone you love.

If you want a story with grit, hard battles, beautiful relationships, and strong characters, all wrapped up in a satisfying ending, check out Patriot at the River. It's a book that won't disappoint. Highly recommended!