Sarah Mac's Reviews > The Wild Dark Flowers

Overall, a disappointment.

I quite enjoyed RUTHERFORD PARK, but this was trying too hard to be deep & serious & illuminating to the point where it became dull...which is why I began skipping certain storylines entirely, because zzzz. Instead of a literary soap opera (ie., the first book), it became a homage to ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT with occasional boring ‘home scenes’ tossed in. Where were the threads & interactions I liked in the first book? The story as a whole lacked any cohesive focus or drive except to show Harry & Harrison’s travails & John’s time on the Lusitania—not that these are bad things to include, per se, but the remainder just kinda mushed around & put me to sleep.

I don’t have the final book yet, & I’m not sure whether to bother. I’m a bit curious how Charlotte & Louisa’s arcs spin out, but now that Harry is returning to the front & Jack is joining the veterinary corps...meh. I’m not sure I have enough interest (or backbone, because I can’t deal with Warhorse stories period).

So. 2.5 stars, rounded up for the good bits. It’s not poorly written, but there’s too much war for a lolzy soap & too much blah domestic drama to please fans of war novels.


NB: If you’re looking for an escapist OTT read featuring the clash of generations & shellshocked characters in the aftermath of WWI, try Phillippa Gregory’s FALLEN SKIES. It features similar themes as this novel, but ties them into a much more interesting tale.