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Nobody’s Slave by Tim Vicary
Madu is a budding African warrior who longs for his stepfather’s praise. Tom is a young English lad who is travelling on a slave ship looking for their next shipment of human beings. Due to an agreement between the opposing tribe and the English to sell their prisoners as slaves, two tribes are at war. When Madu is brought as a prisoner to the slave ship, he is bewildered and terrified. Will Tom and Madu be able to maintain their friendship when the roles are reversed? Nobody’s Slave is a highly accurate book that is based on actual historical occurrences.
The tone of Madu’s section of the plot is reminiscent of Chinua Achebe, a master of African literature. Madu’s mother was a Sumba woman who was taken in conflict and wed to a tribesman warrior. She was pregnant with Madu at the time of their marriage, but nobody knew it.
Madu goes above and beyond because of this stigma and his desire for his stepfather’s favour. He and his comrade Temba are trying to kill a leopard at the beginning of the book for their warrior training, but they want to go further. Everyone uses a goat to capture the leopard, but they all want to keep the goat. The two boys’ only concern at that magical time is winning over their fellow villagers.
Tom’s narrative seems less creative. Perhaps it’s because we are so accustomed to him. Perhaps it’s because he uses the justifications from then that we are aware of. Although he has reservations about the morality of kidnapping slaves, he is readily persuaded that it is necessary to do so. Tom doesn’t seem to stop even when he has a significant personal loss; he just seems to go on to the next thing.
John Hawkins and Francis Drake, real-life historical individuals, complicate Tom’s plot. Tom is shown as Drake’s cousin who travels with him on a voyage, most likely in the 1560s. Perhaps there is a freedom with Madu’s story line that the author didn’t experience when writing Tom as this author does seem to be one that strives for authenticity?
Nobody’s Slave’s opening chapter is tense and exciting. Even though we are certain that Madu is not being baked for eating in the ship’s hold, he is unfamiliar with anything there. Based on what they’ve heard, Madu and his fellow slaves assume certain things about the “red-faces,” which the reader is aware are untrue but nevertheless seem natural to them. The conclusion drags and may come across as preachy to a modern audience. In the end, Madu serves as the main character and the plot’s primary driver; he is an engaging figure to read about.
Nobody’s Slave is a good novel for readers who enjoy historical fiction and it won the Best Kindle Award 2014. Tim Vicary is an author who very clearly loves history and does his best to present events in an entertaining manner. Pick this one up today.
About The Book
Two boys meet on a voyage that transforms their lives.
Madu, a young African, is captured by the English slave-trader, Sir John Hawkins. Tom Oakley is a young sailor in charge of the slaves. At first the two boys hate each other. Madu wants freedom, Tom seeks revenge for his cousin whom the Africans killed. But when their ship is sunk in a battle with the Spaniards, their roles are reversed, and Madu gains power over Tom. But both boys are enslaved, thousands of miles from home. Only by combining their efforts do they have any chance of freedom.
This book is a WINNER of the Kindle Book Award 2014. A fast-moving drama based on real historical events. History as you never learned it in school!
The Review
Nobody's Slave
9.3 Score
The life of two very different boys, from opposite ends of the earth, are fated to a union that will transform both their lives. One, an African boy, Madu, living his life in Africa and bordering on manhood in his own right. An English boy, Tom Oakley, on a sea voyage to capture African slaves. Neither of these boys could ever have fathomed what their meeting would bring about but would soon be in a life and death struggle together. This book really really touched my heart. What a wonderful read - sad, terrifying loses on both sides but together the boys manage, not only to survive, but to respect one another for life. The lesson they will learn will change their lives forever. The heartbreak both must suffer will teach both of them how precious and sacred life really is!
PROS
- Captivating.
- An Incredible Action-Adventure.
- Great Historical Novel.
- Thought Provoking.
CONS
- Flat & Dull.
- Mediocre & Slow Moving.
- Poorly Written.
- Tedious.
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