Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Books of Furnass Book 4

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: Decemebr 26, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 17+ (some slight violence, war, hard choices, and love)

Publisher: Calling Crow Press

Pages: 340

Amazon Link

Synopsis: In the summer of 1863, Judson Walker, a captain of Morgan’s Raiders, and Jonathan Reid, a young engineer, come to Furnass to appropriate two of Colin Lyles’ steam-powered road engines. The purpose is to outfit the engines with iron plate and the newly developed Gatlin Guns, and, with Morgan, deliver the war engines to General Lee’s army in Central Pennsylvania. Amid Walker’s growing involvement with Lyle’s wife Libby, deserting soldiers, and Reid’s own agenda, Walker learns Morgan isn’t coming. The novel reaches its climax with Lyle trying to sabotage the war engines. Walker must decide between Libby and duty toward his men, the war and individual human values.

The Books of Furnass tell the story of a fictitious mill town, ten miles from Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania. At the heart of the series is the Furnass Towers Trilogy, about the efforts of men and women to maintain their lives, and the life of the town, in the face of the mill closings. In addition to contemporary life, the series chronicles the town when it was just an outpost after the French and Indian War…the town as it grew around an iron furnace in the wilderness…as it became an industrial center from the time of the American Civil War to the Vietnam War. And the series tells the story of the Lyle family, who were involved with the town from its founding to its struggles to survive after the mills went away.

Review: Overall I thought that this book was really well done. The writing was really poetic and smooth, the character development was amazingly well done and I really enjoyed the characterization of the characters as well. It’s definitely worth the read just for the writing alone.

However, I do feel like the book could have been more historical. It felt like we focused on the characters and the romance too much and the plot, while interesting, was a bit too thin for the length for me. It felt like the story dragged a bit in the end for my personal tastes.

Verdict: A lovely, worthy read.

Two men from the Confederate calvary dressed in Union uniform have entered a small village in Pennsylvania on a secret mission. Captain Judson Walker is accompanied by pseudo-engineer Jonathan Reid on a secret mission in which they are to determine if Steamworks and Colin Lyle's "road engine" can be successfully combined with a new invention that will replaced hundreds of men at the front line and hopefully swing the war to the Confederate side. The two are invited to stay with the Lyles during the investigation.
In a skirmish prior to arrival, Walker is wounded. He is taken under the wing of Lyle's wife, Libby. She is a transplanted southerner who immediately gleans that despite the Union uniforms, these two are not northerners. She's an enigma, outspoken, intelligent, and forceful.
The storyline is well-plotted, but grows and flows rather languidly, shifting first and third persons (putting you in the head of one and his thoughts, particularly Walker as he relives scenes of his skirmishes with Morgan), as well as the other main characters. Walker is smart, deeply distrustful of Reid, and exhibits battle fatigue. Reid, although he'd like to think is the smarter of the two, has no military mind and the two often clash. He is rabid for the glory he's sure will come from producing a successful war machine. Lyle is just grateful that someone at long last has seen fit to examine his contraption.
There is much philosophical consideration and reflection, Reid's arrogance makes him an unlikeable character, Libby gets weird and unsympathetic, and Walker flashes back to his former lady comparing her with Libby. The rest of Walker's troop arrives, several in need of medical attention. The dialogue reads realistic for the time, scene descriptions vivid. Difficult to determine how this will all work out, the author does a fine job of wrapping up a conclusion satisfactorily, but leaves out a few minor details that beg a question or two.
I was contacted by the publicist for the author and offered a free copy through NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. There were some format problems. Very different view of the civil war and the individual personalities involved make it a compelling, unique read. 3.5/5 stars

I really enjoy historyish type books and this book, Across the River, set in the Civil War Era was absolutely wonderful. I thought the tone of the book was a bit ominous, which was great. I predicted parts of the ending of the book, but others brought me an utter surprise!