(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

New South Wales, 1838, and settlers in search of fertile country are venturing far outside the colony. Literally cutting a swathe through the bush with their bare hands, they lay claim to territory beyond government jurisdiction - and the reach of the law. As she accepts a position on one such farm, seventeen-year-old Kate Carter is unaware she is entering a land of outlaws, adventurers and murderous natives.
Because the first people of this new world will no longer accept the white man's advance, and retaliatory attacks on both sides have made it a frontier on the brink of war.Into Kate's path comes Bronzewing, a young white man schooled by a settler family yet raised within an Aboriginal tribe. Caught between two worlds, Bronzewing strives to protect his adopted people and their vanishing civilisation.
But as he and Kate will discover, 'beyond the outer limits' is a beautiful yet terrifying place, where it's impossible to know who is friend and who is enemy...

*4.5 stars*

Not long ago, I read the previous historical novel by Nicole Alexander called "The Great Plains" and, while I loved the story, I felt that, at about 550 pages, it was just too long to sustain the story. And then comes this one - another historical novel, set solely in NSW this time, telling the story of a clash of cultures between White Australia and our First Nations people, telling some of the story of the frontier wars between the two peoples. And it was 450 pages - and worked perfectly.

The story of Kate's journey to "the outer limits" (an area beyond the control of the colonial government) and Adam's tale come together in one of the better Australian historical fiction novels I have ever read. I don't want to go over the plot piece by piece, nor any of the other aspects of the story for fear of telling too much...

This is one of those reviews that are just best left saying - check it out!


Paul
ARH