Forest Sentinels~ The Gauntlet Runner Book III by S.Thomas Bailey

• File Size: 1876 KB
• Publisher: FriesenPress; 1 edition (December 19, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00HFZ8TL0

Publication Date: December 19, 2013

Coming off the disaster on the Monongahela , Jacob Murray and his young friend Joshua return to Fort Cumberland under the command of George Washington. The defeated British army soon withdraws further east, leaving the frontier virtually undefended.

With the frontier left unprotected, Delaware raiding parties begin striking the settlers in an effort to clear their lands of the English. Jacob and Joshua lead a company of militia deep into the French-held Pennsylvania frontier. They plan to build a fort that will not only give the local settlers peace of mind and added protection, but serve as a ‘home base’ from which they can continue the search for Jacob’s wife Maggie and Joshua’s best friend One-Ear.

Though the raids seem to lessen with the presence of the well-constructed fort, the Delaware have not withdrawn completely. A rescue mission soon turns out disastrous when the men are ambushed and Jacob is taken prisoner by chief Tewea, the dangerous warrior nicknamed Captain Jacobs.

Help often comes from unexpected sources, and the Murrays soon find themselves face to face with ghosts from the past and a mysterious band of sentinels that are keeping watch over the Pennsylvania forests. 

My take on this book:

Forest Sentinels by S. Thomas Bailey immediately took me back to the frontier during the 18th century. Jacob Murray, who also goes by Jacob Sims and his trusty friend Joshua, along with a small regiment  are sent deep into the Pennsylvania wilderness to build a fort that will provide security to the settlers that are being attacked by the Delaware Indians. What really drives Jacob though is the hope that he will someday be reunited with his wife Maggie and their children. While the fort provides protection no one is really safe from the Indians, especially the formidable leader known as Captain Jacobs. Can Jacob and his men thwart the enemy and provide a modicum of security on the frontier, and will he ever be reunited with Maggie?

S. Thomas Bailey is truly a gifted wordsmith that paints such a vivid picture of time and place that I actually feel like I step back in time with this series.I find myself becoming  immersed in the lives of the characters especially Jacob and Maggie. Not only do their voices speak, bringing the tumultuous times to life but I found myself swept up in the emotions that Mr. Bailey creates within the lives of these characters. From the battlefield to running the gauntlet their hopes, fears and determination rolls of the pages.Elation and joy are also felt but sometimes short lived as danger is always lurking around the corner. The true to life feel of the battles fought, and the way the author provides detail,descriptive without becoming gory, which allows the reader's imagination to draw its own conclusion.   Even though Forest Sentinels is a work of fiction the author's attention to detail really made me feel like I was witnessing  history in the making as I read the story. Mr. Bailey takes a period in history that I really have read very little about and makes it exciting, but more than that he makes me want to learn all I can about the French Indian War and the time that leads up to the American Revolution!

Forest Sentinels is the third installment of the Gauntlet Runner series by S.Thomas Bailey and I have been lucky enough to read all three, but all I can say is I want more! The characters have grown so near and dear to me and the cliff hanger of an ending gripped my heart, leaving me elated that Jacob's men would rally behind him, but it also put my imagination into overdrive wondering how Jacob would get back what he held most dear. I only hope Mr. Bailey is working on the next installment and doesn't leave his fans waiting long! 

Reviewed for Readersfavorite.com