Claus: Volume One

by C John Coombes

[ibeforem]

This was an absolutely beautiful read. Just gorgeous.Claus is the story of Elizabeth, an orphan (for all intents and purposes) who comes to work for the Lady Rebecca Claussen, a woman who was once an orphan herself and who has now dedicated her life to helping children. Through Elizabeth’s young eyes we are witness to the journey to America of Lady Rebecca and her generous and kind husband, Christopher Claussen. Does that name seem familiar to you? That’s where the familiarity ends, for this is a story of Claus you could never have imagined.

What C. John Coombes gives us here is something that is so often lacking from self-published works… description. The description in this novel is lyrical and thorough. I’ve never been so interested in the workings of a sailing ship, nor so entranced by a battle with pirates. Elizabeth is perhaps too smart for her own good, but through her eyes we see things we may never have noticed otherwise. And, to top it all off, the author himself has literally illustrated the story beautifully. He is a very talented man! This was quite a long read (almost 700 pages in pdf), but it was well, well worth the time I put into it.