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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Two Storm Wood
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Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
Incredible
All during the time I was reading this book, the poem "In Flanders Field" kept running through my head. I had always wondered what happened to men who died in battle? This book answered that question.
The plot concerning a woman going to France to find her fiancé was almost unbelievable. This was in 1919 and for a woman to be traveling alone seeking information was hard to imagine. Yet, the more I read the more believable it became. She made a promise and was determined to keep it.
The horrors that occurred were horrendous. War is full of horrible incidences and certainly can change men forever. A childhood trauma can change a life forever as shown in this book.
I was hooked from page one. It was almost at the end of the book before I realized who one of the characters was. That was a surprise. The ending of the book was just right.
I will recommend this book to friends. It's a great read.
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Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)
The Battlefields of the Somme
This is the best thriller I have read in quite some time. A woman goes to the battlefields of the Great War to search for her fiance, missing and presumed dead - an unthinkable thing for her to do in 1919. She witnesses the horror of the the war in its aftermath - then learns strange facts that might suggest her fiance is still alive. The reader begins to suspect she is in graver danger than even she knows. Not put-down-able, in spite of the descriptions of some of the horror she sees, this book will have you on edge as well as on the edge of your seat 'til the very last page.
Technical note:
Not all the French used in phrases (for authenticity of the characters speech) is translated and that is terrific as it adds to the suspense. I much preferred it to having everything repeated in English.
Those of us who have lived since 1919 need to understand how truly awful the Great War was to people who had never seen such destruction and the dreadful aftermath for those merely wounded and may gain valuable insight into much of what happened after in the twentieth century...
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Barbara H. (Thomasville, GA)
The Horrors of War....
This was exceptional writing of a very difficult and horrific time in our history - World War I at its very worst - the aftermath which left all of its horrors, betrayals, and rawness out in the open for those soldiers who literally were left to pick up the pieces and find some closure to it all. In the midst of it all comes a young proper English woman trying to find her missing fiancee. What she ends up face to face with is beyond comprehension. This novel is so intricately woven and, interspersed in the midst of it all are such detailed characters - totally bonded into the story. The author's descriptions of the characters and the atmosphere was so vivid - I totally felt a part of the story. I felt I was witnessing all that the characters were involved in - all the horrors left by this war and it's participants.
This is a part of history that should not be forgotten and with authors like Philip Gray - the history will live on and all that gave their lives or those who suffered so greatly in the aftermath will not be forgotten.
I did, however feel that as powerful as this novel was, the ending left confusion and felt a bit deflated. We shall see if that changes in the final version..
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Marie C. (Medford, NY)
History with thriller streaks
Because I love historical fiction this book was a treasure of WWI horrors. At times, I felt the detail went over the top and the scenes with rats almost impossible to read, but there are those who would find these appealing. I like the multiple interwoven tales of people whose lives were disrupted and broken by a war that really had no winner because it wiped put a whole generation. However, the switching from time to time was jarring, and I kept looking back to see where/when I had been and get a sense of how this fit in to where I was headed. The story is moving and worth the time needed to decipher the mysteries, but it is not light reading, not the usual mystery, and sometimes full of too much detail. Nevertheless, from a historical perspective, it is worth the effort.
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Christine M. (Indianapolis, IN)
"Two Storm Wood" (2022)
Londoner Philip Gray is the new necromancer of war. Gray has conjured a female protagonist on the European Front, searching for her fiancée circa 1918. Standing in the aftermath of WWI, "Two Storm Wood" is a gothic romance with a psychological punch. The sordid aspects of war are horrendous as in the Kevin Powers, Iraq war novel "The Yellow Birds" and as in the Karl Marlantes, Vietnam Nam sorties in his novel , "Matterhorn"; but here, we are not in battle--but picking up the pieces. There are 5,000 unburied bodies for every mile walked. identification of the dead plays the most prominently, disfigurement second, and madness third.
Character driven and thematically focused, "Two Storm Wood" pits practical and idealistic souls in war's moral morass. Great foreshadowing in this heavily plotted tale keeps mystery alive. Underground chambers, colonies of rats, shell holes and trenches cut through burial sites mixed with tagged bodies and demented deserters. Dread builds; drugs, atrocities accumulate; racism and privilege raise their heads. War is seen as a contest of violence not of virtue. Amy, our protagonist, is in the vortex like no other heroine I can recall since Jane Eyre. Masterfully done.
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Cheryl P. (Lebanon, PA)
Heart Wrenching
A very compelling story of WWI. I have read quite a few historical fictions of this time period, but this one stands out. A very heart-wrenching story of love and loss. The author told the story in a way that the characters and the landscape descriptions came alive in your mind. Never knew too much about trench warfare and the aftermath of war and trying to identify those lost.
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Becky D. (Gloucester, VA)
Engaging historical mystery
I'm always impressed with a book that keeps me reading while imparting knowledge about a totally new topic (to me). A particular battle during WWI, Two Storm Wood, in this case, is highlighted.
While trying to find her fiancee, (reported as missing in action) and bring his body home, a woman discovers stonewalling, subterfuge and possible evidence of a war crime.
The characters are defined enough that the reader can feel some connection and care about them.
When I read a historical novel I'm always to eager to delve deeper into it's accuracy. Many authors will address this at the end of the book but not this one. I repeatedly googled Two Storm Wood and was always given this book. Now, since this is an ARC, I suppose it could be added before publication. For people like me I think it would be very helpful.
I also couldn't find anything (in my rudimentary research) about any Chinese workers during WWI. It's interesting to note that even during wartime, when it is obvious that everyone's blood is red, racism seems to be always lurking, waiting for a chance to emerge.
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