Official Review: The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater [February 2019 Book of the Month]

Post by **Rosemary Wright** » 23 Mar 2018, 16:45

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Warramunga's War" by Greg Kater.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Warramunga's War, written by Greg Kater, is the first novel in a trilogy. It's a historical fiction about war and espionage. Lieutenant James Munro and Corporal Jack O'Brien were among the Australian troops that fought against the Nazi Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon. Shortly after the end of the Syrian Campaign, James and Jack were promoted and transferred to Egypt to be part of the army's intelligence agency in Cairo. Now in Egypt, their mission, with the aid of other operatives, is to detect and neutralize the German agents who are in contact with Rommel, the commander of the Afrika Korps.

Cairo is a place full of agents attached to the Germans, Italians, British, and others, and these operatives are all working desperately to find out battle plans and other secrets to give to their masters. Operating in such an insecure location, will James and Jack succeed in this mission? Having some interesting twists, this book's plot is solid and fast paced, and set in the 1940s, the narrative features spies, mysterious crime, and adventures. Written in the third-person point of view, it explores the themes of the essence of teamwork, dedication, determination, and love.

Being suspenseful and absorbing, the tale is well written, easy to read, and full of fascinating historical details. Excitingly, it gives a fair account of the Egyptian pyramids, Sphinx, and other structures at Giza. No less, the historical setting is excellent, and the narration is compelling. It's filled with a lot of riveting action scenes. Frankly, I had a great time reading the story. Besides, what makes it more captivating is Greg's sharp writing and gentle humor. I like the way he teamed his characters to achieve a common goal, and I commend him for his vast knowledge of the military and famous wars.

In addition, the characters are unique, exciting, and well developed particularly the focal characters, James and Jack. They are high-spirited and full of fun, and I enjoyed reading about them. The dialogues are realistic and can easily grip readers. A bit of romance is in the story, and intriguingly, a guitar music sheet is included in the book. Some readers who are music fans may love this extra. For certain, the text was professionally edited because I noticed just one grammatical error.

Lastly, this book is balanced since it consists of enthralling and sufficient conversations, action, and narration. It's engaging and worthwhile. Moreover, I couldn't find any fault with the novel and hence, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. Undoubtedly, it will be a feast for fans of historical fiction blended with mystery and romance.

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The Warramunga's War
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 24 Mar 2018, 19:13

I like books set in that time period. The title just isn't descriptive enough for me to have picked this up on my own. But now that you have introduced it to me and given it a high rating, I'll have to look into it. Thanks.

NL Hartje · Post by **NL Hartje** » 24 Mar 2018, 22:08

I'm always particularly drawn to books with an Egyptian setting (it must stem from my want to be an archaeologist in my youth). Thanks for this great review! I'm putting this on my rainy day list

[Valerie Allen] · Post by **[Valerie Allen]** » 25 Mar 2018, 18:55

This is a very good, well-written book review with very few spoiler alerts, which peaks my interest to read it.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 25 Mar 2018, 23:19

Another war story! I wonder if there is a single nation out there that has never seen war. From Google, I found an article written in 2016 featuring "the world's most peaceful countries: The 10 countries currently not involved in conflicts or wars." Interestingly, Japan and Vietnam are two of them. The Japanese and Vietnamese have learned the lessons well.

I have scant knowledge about wars but would be open to reading this book, especially with the wonderful review. Jacko and Jamie seem to be characters worth spending time with.

Poppy Drear · Post by **Poppy Drear** » 26 Mar 2018, 19:39

Historical fiction isn't really my style, and I'm not very interested in reading yet more novels about men and war. That said, I think people who enjoy historical fiction would really appreciate this book, and I like the novelty of including guitar sheet music in the text!

Kirvin1 · Post by **Kirvin1** » 27 Mar 2018, 03:11

While I have, in the past, enjoyed historical fiction, books of war are not traditionally my cup of tea. However, after reading this splendid review I feel it's certainly worthy of making this one a must read in the near future.

kwame1977 · Post by **kwame1977** » 29 Mar 2018, 02:56

War movies have been my favorite since infancy. I really like your review and will soon read this book. Thanks

stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 09 Apr 2018, 19:32

What a glowing review! Your enthusiasm is contagious! I look forward to getting to know James and Jack!

iriskm · Post by **iriskm** » 11 Apr 2018, 18:20

Thank you for convincing me to give Waramunga's War a try. Not a big fan of WWII settings in my historical fictions. Too familiar to my own history, I guess. However the descriptions you gave of the characters and locales caught my interest. Well done!

Post by **Eileen R** » 12 Apr 2018, 10:45

I'll probably pass on this one since historical fiction isn't really my style. Thanks for the review

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 15 Apr 2018, 07:57

The book is really amazing and I just finished reading it. The rating was a perfect 4 out of 4 stars from me.

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 15 Apr 2018, 08:00

kandscreeley wrote: ↑24 Mar 2018, 19:13 I like books set in that time period. The title just isn't descriptive enough for me to have picked this up on my own. But now that you have introduced it to me and given it a high rating, I'll have to look into it. Thanks.

The book is awesome. Also read it and it got a perfect 4 out 4 stars from me as well. You will enjoying reading it. The book as well will take you to different places across many nations and at different points in time.