Colonel Lord Edward Talbot receives news about Napoleon Bonaparte’s abdication, to the jubilation of sixty thousand soldiers. However, his mind is on his son, who keeps getting involved in one mischief or another. Thus begins James Brady's historical fiction novel, ROAD TO GLORY. In his final year and at risk of being expelled due to his penchant for rule-breaking, David Talbot's problematic behavior only worsens when he learns that his father has given the jeweled sword of honor (the sword of surrender from Badajoz) to his rival, Augustus. He is convinced that the only way to regain his honor is to fight with him—against the warning of his childhood friend, Kate, who constantly encourages him to choose a better path.

A young man struggling to meet his father's expectations in a time of national crisis is timeless, and the following passage reveals his father’s deep concern that David's future will be a deterministic slide into oblivion: “Soon it was first steps, then a noble boyhood, considerate lad—a glow in his heart, courageous, a budding athlete, excellent with sword...Before long, if not first killed in some alehouse brawl or riding accident, a wretched and debt-ridden young man, contemptible middle-aged cad, decrepit old man—dim light finally snuffed—bones, ashes, dust. Blotted out and forgotten.” This is especially worrying for a man who is a reformer but can’t imagine reform for his own son, causing his love to turn into fear—which in turn manifests as control. The result is a wide rift between them.

Through politics and social customs (including the use of tallow candles, hot air balloons, the victory illuminations in London, and the frost fair on the Thames after twenty-two years of war), Brady plants readers in Regency England. There is, however, a slight sense of inconsistency with a few characters. Felton, for instance, adds comic relief (eating candles and pratfalling in cow muck) to the story, but he is undeniably also a real threat and a genuine menace due to his thieving ways. Indeed, David’s father tags him as a corrupting influence. There is also Augustus, who persistently persecutes David, spreading rumors and fighting with metal in his muffler. However, the reason for his actions stays frustratingly hidden.

The book shifts between different perspectives. This encourages dramatic irony, such as readers knowing Augustus has the Badajoz sword before David confirms it and learning the sapphire from it is on Kate’s neck before she understands its significance. This creates a feeling of impending chaos, since readers know the extent of his father’s rebuke before he does and can predict the outcome when he finds out. David's eventual transformation, while emotionally satisfying in his confrontation with his father, feels compressed after so much careful setup.

Despite this, ROAD TO GLORY remains engaging, and the use of epistolary elements (such as Lord Edward's anguished letters to his wife and the schoolmaster's confidential report) allows readers to access the characters’ private thoughts while adding authenticity to the narrative.

The tension between a son set on doing things his way and his father's expectations is emotively captured in James Brady's coming-of-age ROAD TO GLORY.

~ Gabriella Harrison for IndieReader