Book Review | First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story by Bob Rogers | #HistoricalFiction #BuffaloSoldiers #Saga @iReadBookTours @BobRogers13
A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours.
Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. 
Book Details
First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier's Story - Sesquicentennial Edition by Bob Rogers
Published by BookLocker on September 1, 2015
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Historical Fiction, Saga
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 516
Source: iRead Book ToursFirst Dark is a coming-of-age story, an epic adventure, and a compelling examination of the primary feelings that drive human nature – hate, hope, desire, love, loss, grief, revenge, and forgiveness – as seen by Apache, black, Mexican, and white young adults during and shortly after America’s Uncivil War.
The San Francisco Review described Bob Rogers as a rising author who takes readers back to life and times in the early years of the Civil War, blending a brilliant mix of historic persons with his fictional characters. Celebrating the sesquicentennial year of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, Bob Rogers delivers his most ambitious work yet–a novel that spans their first generation–from Charleston and Vicksburg to Appomattox and desert Apache battlefields.
First came dark days that beset Isaac Rice's epic journey–America’s wars to settle the "Negro and Indian problems.
First A Buffalo Soldier’s Story–Sesquicentennial Edition (with a foreword by General (Ret) Lloyd “Fig” Newton) is an historically correct action novel that follows Isaac Rice, the Tenth Cavalry, and the women who love him.
His nineteenth century saga begins in Charleston and contributes to the story of how twenty-first century America came to be. Telling Isaac’s story, Rogers surrounds a host of diverse fictional characters with an impressive nonfiction cast, including historic political, military, religious figures, and entrepreneurs of that era.
Subsequent volumes follow Isaac’s descendants, ordinary nineteenth and twentieth century working people, into and out of calamities–recessions, panics, droughts, world wars, a depression, natural disasters, and the division of people by race, class, and caste. The view through their eyes serves to enhance twenty-first century readers’ understanding of “how things got this way” in America.
Isaac Rice, a teenager on a South Carolina rice plantation, traveling alone, follows a treacherous waterborne route filled with incredible hardships and danger to escape from slavery. Too young to be a soldier, the Union Army hires him to shovel coal on a gunboat. Thus begins Isaac’s westward journey, in which he encounters storms, stampeding buffalo, and the hate of zealous patriots whose causes are antithetical to the nation he is sworn to defend.
Undaunted, he pursues respect and dignity on an odyssey from the middle of the Civil War in South Carolina’s Low Country and the Mississippi Heartland, to the Indian Wars on the Great Plains and deserts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico.
Isaac’s is an epic tale of young North Americans coming of age amid the violence of the U.S. Civil War, Indian Wars, Reconstruction, and spillover bloodshed from a Mexican Revolution. Telling Isaac’s story required extensive research of 19th and 20th century books, official documents, and letters, plus multiple visits to relevant geographic locations over a period of twenty years.
A memorable set of characters revolve around Isaac–a Confederate guerilla, a black female activist in a Mississippi Constitutional Convention, a Mescalero Apache warrior, a white Union cavalry sergeant, and a Mexican nurse–who raise their voices and bare their souls as the world they seek constantly changes, bringing tragedy to their lives and danger for Isaac.
Content Rating: R – My book is rated R because of foul language, rape, infanticide, and homicide.
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Purchase Links for First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story
Amazon-OneLink for all countries BookShop/IndieBound
First Dark: A Buffalo Soldi...Shop on Amazon
Get Bob’s Signature
Bob’s eBookshop
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My Thoughts on First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story
“First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story – Sesquicentennial Edition” by Bob Rogers is a powerful historical fiction novel that offers a captivating glimpse into a tumultuous period in American history. The story, set against the backdrop of the U.S. Civil War and the Indian Wars, takes readers on an epic journey through the eyes of Isaac Rice, a young African American who escapes slavery and embarks on a treacherous quest for freedom and respect.
The book earns a well-deserved 4/5 rating for its ability to masterfully blend historical accuracy with a compelling narrative. Bob Rogers skillfully weaves together the stories of a diverse set of characters, both fictional and real, providing a rich and multifaceted perspective on the challenges and triumphs of the time. The characters are well-fleshed out, making it easy for readers to connect with their struggles, hopes, and dreams.
Rogers’ extensive research and attention to detail shine through in the novel, immersing readers in the authentic atmosphere of the 19th century. From the Civil War battlefields to the deserts of the Southwest, the book is filled with fascinating historically accurate details that make the time period come to life.
The story is not only a historical narrative but also a coming-of-age tale, an adventure, and an exploration of the complex emotions that drive human nature, such as hate, hope, desire, love, loss, grief, revenge, and forgiveness. This multifaceted approach adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read for those interested in both history and human psychology.
One of the notable strengths of “First Dark” is its ability to balance the harsher aspects of the historical period with moments of humor and lighter tales. This balance makes the book more accessible and relatable, even as it addresses weighty topics like slavery, war, and racial divisions.
In this Sesquicentennial Edition, the author celebrates the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and their significant role in shaping the America of the 21st century. The book not only tells Isaac’s story but also follows his descendants through the challenges and calamities of the 19th and 20th centuries. This adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to understand better how the past has shaped the present.
In Conclusion
“First Dark” is a well-researched, well-written, and captivating historical fiction novel that brings to life the struggles and triumphs of a diverse group of young Americans during a turbulent period in the nation’s history. It is a must-read for those interested in United States history and the Buffalo Soldiers, and it deserves its place on the shelf of excellent historical fiction.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
See my review of the prequel to “First Dark,” “Two Rivers: The Trouble I Be See” by Bob Rogers next week.
Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be...Shop on Amazon
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I love to read books through my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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About Bob Rogers
Bob Rogers is the author of the historical novels First Dark and The Laced Chameleon, which earned critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews, San Francisco Review, and Baltimore Examiner. Bob is a meticulous researcher, known to spend extra time, magnifying glass in hand, deciphering 18th and 19th-century handwriting for “just the facts, ma’am.” Bob, a former U.S. Army captain and combat leader during the Vietnam War in Troop A, 1/10 Cavalry, finds his topographic experiences useful in field research. If not closeted in libraries or museums, you are likely to find him walking centuries-old rice fields, battlefields, or in a canoe following the river trails of his characters.
He studied at South Carolina State University and the University of Maryland.
Bob tends his flowers, okra, and tomato plants in Mérida, Yucatán, México.
Connect with the author:
website ~ facebook ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads ~ bookbub ~ youtube ~ Amazon
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Purchase First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story online from your local bookstore.
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Easy Amazon Links
Amazon-OneLink for all countries
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Please send me a note if your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
First Dark: A Buffalo Soldi...Shop on Amazon
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Giveaway!
Win a hardback copy of Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be See, courtesy of the author (one winner) (USA only) (ends Nov 17)
Please visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story
Full Tour Schedule:
Oct 23 – Liese’s Blog – books spotlight
Oct 24 – Pick a Good Book – books spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – books spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 26 – Novels Alive – book review of FIRST DARK / giveway
Oct 26 – Book Corner News and Reviews– book review of FIRST DARK / giveaway
Oct 30 – Welcome To MLM Opinion’s Reviews – book review of FIRST DARK / giveaway
Oct 31 – Leanne Bookstagram – book review of FIRST DARK
Nov 1 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of FIRST DARK / giveaway
Nov 2 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of FIRST DARK / giveaway
Nov 3 – Authors on iTours: Let’s Talk Books – book review of FIRST DARK
Nov 6 – Stephanie Jane – books spotlight / giveaway
Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be See by Bob Rogers Book Tour Giveaway
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Book Title: First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story by Bob Rogers
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 516 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: BookLocker
Release date: September 19, 2015
Tour dates: Oct 23 to Nov 10, 2023
Content Rating: R.
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