I, James by Mike Hartner (book review)

I, James (The Eternity Series) (Volume 2)

BOOK DESCRIPTION: 

James Crofter was ripped from his family at age 11. Within a year the prince was a pauper in a foreign land. Is nature stronger than nurture? And even if it is, can James find the happiness he so richly desires?

I, James is the second book in the Eternity series. The saga will continue to span continents and time to arrive in present day North America. You can find more at: www.theeternityseries.com

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading I, Walter last year,  which was book 1 in the Eternity series,  I was looking forward to reading book 2 titled I, James by Mike Hartner. And I am pleased to say that Mr. Hartner did NOT disappoint. 

I, James follows the life of James Crofter, the son of Walter and Maria. Born a prince in the 1600s, he spent his early childhood living a life of luxury and love. Then due to a family feud, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery where he lived in his teenage years a horrible life enduring many hardships along the way. However, he never lost sight of surviving and with the help of many friends, whom he came to see as his family, he was able to plan for his escape while also thinking of how to help these friends. James had always held an interest in money, through lessons he had learned from his father and through his own observations, and he used this interest to incorporate a new era of economics in using paper currency backed by coins in the bank instead of travelling with all of your coins. This in turn was a way that he was able to help his fellow slaves after the gained their freedom. What follows was a story of James' escape from slavery, which included action, adventure, pirates, a love story and trying to live a fulfilling life while also wondering if he would ever be reunited with his parents.

I, James did not disappoint on any level. The plot was fast paced and well intertwined with the character development. The characters were all well developed and you really felt that you were right there alongside each of them. I liked that while James and Rosalind were the major characters, you really came to know the other characters that had a large impact on the story, including Sir Rupert, Captain Jose, Diego the blacksmith among others. I also like the fact that in this story, while it was James' ultimate goal to reunite with his parents, life happened and he went with it. He didn't get discouraged because these things were happening to him, rather he faced them and moved on. It became a story of survival and hope that things will work out in the end.

I, James is a wonderful, fun read. The story kept me engaged and sitting on the edge of my seat cheering James on and hoping for the best but fearing the worst may happen.  This story, as well as the first book I, Walter, could easily be made into a movie with all the action and adventure that is portrayed. I am looking forward to reading more in this series when they become available.

DISCLAIMER: 
I was sent this book through the Kate Tilton Blogging program and the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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