What readers think of Fallen Land, plus links to write your own review.

Fallen Land is a beautifully written account of a very dark time in American history. It is far more than a love story. It demonstrates the grit and determination for survival and the cruelty that we care capable of.
The main characters were well developed and the author brings us into a frightening and heart pounding flight to freedom of a young couple in the south, thrown together by circumstance.
For me, the real hero in the story, is the strong and loyal horse, Riever, who carries the couple through the frightening horrors they encounter.

Fallen Land entails the arduous journey of two young people fleeing bounty hunters in the last days of the Civil War. Danger is everywhere, which keeps one reading to see what happens next. Although it is a book with rape, murder, and the many atrocities of war— it is actually a story of love and devotion, of attempting to overcome the worst. The plight of Callum and Ava, the two main characters, is gripping and beautifully written. It also isn't known until the end, what the outcome will be. Read it and find out!

The Advent and Christmas seasons were the wrong time for me to read Fallen Land. The book is beautifully written - I could visualize almost every scene clearly, but few, if any, of them are pretty. War is war, and this could be any war: ugly, dark, anxiety-ridden. In fact, only the occasional references to the time period and the real heroes of that time, like Sherman, give away which war is taking place. My main criticism of the book lies with its disjointedness. The segues from the primary narrative about the two main characters to the italicized narratives were not always smooth, and the last part of the book tumbled to its not-inevitable end. Still, the novel is an above-average debut. I would consider reading Brown's next effort.

This would be a decent book for a book club discussion, which could revolve, for example, around the nature of dystopian literature; the strength of personal relationships during war; and the inhumanity of war itself.

If you likes books with action, romance, good guys and bad guys this is for you. Takes place at the end of the Civil War when renegade bounty hunters terrorize those left behind after Sherman's march through Georgia. There is a boy and girl trying to keep ahead of these men and they experience many hair raising adventures. This book has something for everyone.

If anyone still has a romanticized view of war, the Civil War novel FALLEN LAND will certainly dispel it. One reviewer called it a tale of "the worst and best of humanity." The worst: at times, the brutality is almost too difficult to read. A band of renegade bounty hunters sweeps down the ridge of the Appalachians across Georgia in pursuit of young Callum, Ava and their horse Reiver. Southerners whose paths they cross can be equally as savage. All are starving, fighting to protect what little they have stashed away from marauders or Sherman's Union troops, who often are starving, too. The best: the boy and girl whose loyalty and love are heart-wrenching. Reiver, the great black horse, I came to love nearly as much as they did.

Author Taylor Brown skillfully weaves fact and fiction into a captivating tale of the War in the South -- the struggle of civilians to survive, as well as Sherman's determination to destroy the means to fund the Confederate enterprise and to break the will of the people.

As beautiful as the prose is in this book, I found it difficult to read because the story itself it so depressing. The four main characters, Callum, Ava, the bounty hunter and Revier, all contribute to the central story in the book and are all I feel, important to the outcome of the book. The writing by Mr. Brown made me feel like I was along for the ride, following along behind Sherman's cursed troops as they left their scar across the South. Yes, I am Southern, born and bred and yes, it does anger me that Sherman felt he had to destroy innocent women and children this way. Maybe that is what made this book so difficult to read. I'm afraid there was little redeeming about Callum and Ava - they were simply trying to survive the best they knew how and circumstances left them little choice at times.

The subject matter made this a hard book to read for me but I'm glad I stuck with it. After hearing from the fortune teller than one of them would not make it to the end, and finding out which one that was, it almost did me in.

I'm not sure I could recommend this as a book club book but it would probably spur a good bit of discussion.

Fallen Land tells of the trials and tribulations of a long journey by two young lovers and their faithful and strong horse. They become victims of circumstances and face many tests of their physical and mental toughness. The story is engaging but I found some parts were rather slow moving and too wordy with descriptions of the surroundings. I became more engaged towards the end and wanted to find out their fate. The character development was good and I felt like I got to know Ava and Callum and especially became fond of Reiver. The book would be a good book club selection for those interested in the final years of the Civil War.

This is a very well written book. The horrors of war, the heinous acts committed by soldiers and bounty hunters, yet there is love, devotion, and beauty all there for us to
read and enjoy. My hero was Reiver, the most devoted and loyal friend of Callum and Ava, two people thrown together by fate and circumstance. The book is a fast read, and the story will stay with you for a while.