The Queen’s Colonial
Set in England and on the Crimean Peninsula in the 1850s, The Queen’s Colonial introduces blacksmith Ian Steele, who takes the place of Samuel Forbes, a young aristocrat, to satisfy the terms of an English inheritance based on ten years of army service. On a chance acquaintance in New South Wales, the two men remark on their striking resemblance. They could be brothers, but their hopes and dreams are very different. Ian longs to serve in the Queen’s army, and Samuel wants to relocate quietly to America. As Ian is groomed to take Samuel’s place, he is warned that he will face more danger from family than on any battlefield, but it isn’t until Ian meets the vindictive father and ruthless older brother, Charles, that he fully understands! Ian relies on his academic learning of warfare when he takes up his army commission but believes in his destiny to lead men into battle, and it turns out he’s good at it. Charles’s murderous intent stalks Ian at every turn, in England and across land and sea to the Crimea.
Judging by the title and cover, this could be an historical war novel, but it quickly becomes an engrossing family saga full of Watt’s interesting characterisations weaving in and out of the story, enduring the vagaries and ironies of life. Previous animosities become friendships, and trust and loyalty are built on shaky ground. Watt spares us nothing regarding the conditions on and off the battlefield – the filth, cholera, rats, lice, blood, the incompetence of the British generals and the shocking loss of life. My only complaint is the map, printed so badly as to be unreadable. This novel will have wide appeal, but it leaves lots of loose threads to be picked up in the next book, The Queen’s Tiger. Something to look forward to!
