The Warriors

The Kent Family Chronicles, Book 6

By: John Jakes

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

This addictive John Jakes adventure blends the Kents’ ruthless push for an empire with murderous betrayal and the Civil War’s life-altering culmination.

With the Civil War reaching its gory climax, the divided Kent family is pushed to the edge of complete destruction. With the advent of the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, the Kents continue to fight for their foothold among America’s wealthy founding families. While their private, insular war rages, young Jeremiah Kent is tempted by a calculating Southern belle into a trap of deceit, lust, and murder.

There’s no turning back as the Kents’ destiny is set on an irreversible course alongside the great rebirth of America.

©1977 John Jakes (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

making my way through this excellent series

Much like the other books in the series, I love how the fictional characters intertwine with real life figures and historical events. I'm not listening to these one after another so I do have try to remember the previous installment. Fortunately, there are mini summaries within the novel that help. I like the western scenes best in this installment.

Another great one

Enjoyed this The Warriors tremendously. The family complexities and travels across America make for a wonderful story. Off to the next book.

The Kent Family Chronicles is very addictive

Fun and exciting story. Excellent series that does put the listener in the last days of the Civil War.

Jeramiah Kent

What made the experience of listening to The Warriors the most enjoyable?

BOOK: (Amazon Summary) The Kent Family Chronicles Book VI; The glittering saga of our America-and the people who made her great. As the Civil War draws to its inevitable climax, The Warriors carries the turbulent chronicle of the divided Kent family to far-reaching new battlefields. A gracious Southern plantation ravaged by Union soldiers as the blacks cry for "Jubilee"... the bright trail westward blazed by the Union Pacific Railroad, and its lusty Traveling Towns and savage Indian raids...the plush eastern mansions of the Robber Barons-Gould, Fisk and drew...the seething conclaves of the new trade unions-these are the scenes of a nation's rebirth and of the Kents' private, impassioned wars... These are the backdrops as well for stirring romantic entanglements. When young Jeremiah Kent is tempted by a lascivious Southern belle into a web of lust and murder...and Michael Boyle longs for a lovely immigrant girl, Hannah...the destiny of the Kent dynasty is set on an irreversible course into the great American future.

NARRATION: Marc Vietor narrates the entire series which is a plus. I like the consistency of hearing the same voice throughout the story line. The voices are well done, female and male are easily distinguishable.

The Warriors

Any additional comments?

These comments address The Kent Family Chronicles, the entire series of eight books, in audiobook format. All books are narrated by Marc Vietor. The entire series is approximately 125 hours of listening. Shortest book is 15.5 hours, longest over 26 hours. Vietor does a good job with narration, although the uniqueness of male voices is problematic. Most significant, you’ll have little difficulty determining who-says-what-to-who. Tempo and pacing fine, albeit the narration is a bit slow for my taste, bumped it to 1.25.

The entire series is a broad spectrum history of the United States from just pre-Revolutionary War through the 1890s and a chronicle of the Kent family through this time. Beginning with Phillip through the generations to the children of Gideon, a great-great-grandson. Members of the clan fight in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, are at the Alamo, the California Gold Rush, the Great Chicago Fire, the Johnstown Flood, and much more. The author skillfully intersperses vignettes of imagined and factual history. For example, two of the fictional characters of the series are sheltered for a few days at the home of the Lincolns in rural Kentucky - a baby is part of the family, young Abraham. One of the fictional characters is counseled by Benjamin Franklin. Fiction, Phillip’s childhood friend is Marquis deLafayette, non-fiction: deLafayette’s role in United States and French military. The series is rife with this type of paradigm, but it is not difficult to determine what is true and what is fiction. All the instances that involve the Kents and John Jake’s other fictional characters are products of his imagination. Much of the rest is a fun methodology of conveying historical events.

The stories are very listenable. I found no need to re-wind or fast-forward; no segment boring or irrelevant. Theses books are not ‘love stories’ in the typical sense, albeit familial relationships, the crux of The Kent Family Chronicles, must include love stories, n'est-ce pas? In those areas where a sexual encounter is defined it is relevant to the plot and tastefully written. This does not occur often, but the clan does proliferate :-). A word to the prudish: there are a couple of rapes vividly described.

Very typical of the time written, the 1970s, writing is a bit verbose. Several of these books were adapted for television mini-series, popular at the time.

John Jakes is a terrific historical fiction author, recommended. Enjoy!

this series is addicting....

love the character development and historical accuracy and facts. so we'll written....on to the next..can't wait...

Wonderful series

Had to go through all nine volumes without a break. Great series again I like the history with the characters.

War and Revenge

War fighting among families. Revenge for family. Things change yet stay the same the same. Sometimes you can’t escape violence. You can never escape life it always catches up with you. Great book. The story continues.