Ballantyne Books In Order

Publication Order of Ballantyne Books

Chronological Order of Ballantyne Books

The Ballantyne Series by Wilbur Smith is one of the many novel sequels of this South African author. The series is comprised of four novels, each depicting the lives of significant people of the Ballatyne family. It was released from 1980 to 1984. The chronicle of the character’s lives involved in the novel dates back the mid 18th to the 19th century.

The setting of the series was in South Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe. As one can easily predict, much of the author’s life was influential in building this historically inspired series.

Each novel depicted the lives of a member of a Ballantyne family. Unlike other series, the Ballantyne does not live on to consecutive generations. The transition of each novel is not necessarily a down right illustration of each family generation.

The key members of the Ballantyne family that led each novel are as follows.

Dr. Robyn Ballatyne who was introduced as the smart and fearless daughter of the family was introduced in the first sequel, A Falcon Flies. Anyone who is interested in books that combine exhilarating themes of suspense, adventure and romance is bound to love the first installment of the Ballantyne novel. Set in the 18th century, one will enjoy the adventure of Dr. Robyn Balllantyne, who set an expedition with this brother, Zouga. The intention of the trip to South Africa was established for a humanitarian cause. However, a hidden mission came along with this objective. Along the way, these two characters underestimated their journey. Each phase of their adventure unraveled chain of mysteries, conflicts and an unexpected ending.

Zouga who used to be a supporting character in the first installment became the lead for the second series, Men of Men. If the first novel installment focused on the daughter, Men of Men (evident from the title) related the story of the Ballantyne men. It started with Zouga, who had supporting appearances from A Falcon Flies. Men of Men is a story of Zouga’s ambitions. Unfortunately, the road to Zouga’s dreams was complicated, thorny and selfish. Zouga almost lost his family and even got involved in a complex love affair. What started out as a plot of revenge emerged with a different ending. Adding up to the complexity of the story, Men of Men also includes the participation of Zouga’s love affair. Similar to her sister, Zouga was personified as a courageous and tough man. Along the way, the novel also portrayed the soft spot of Zouga and his romantic angle.

The third installment of the novel series earned the spot as the highest selling in Great Britian in the year 1983. Still set in the beautiful land of South Africa, the novel takes the readers to the breathtaking place that is unfortunately occupied by conflicts, greed and clashes among cultures and the Ballantyne family. Relative to the two novels, this installment proves to be more complex. A lot of stories were covered.

It started with Zouga and his sons, with participation from Robyn, and eventually, the future generations of the Ballantyne family. Just as when one thought that the role of the Ballatyne family in South Africa is over, the future generations of Roland and Ralph Ballatyne resurrected to continue the legacy the fight for supremacy. A new character was also introduced in this novel. Craig, who happens to be the cousin of Ralph, enters the story. He was eventually set to continue the battle. Along the way, Craig lands to an unfortunate accident that eventually led the unpredictable ending.

Craig was the last important character in the Ballantyne series. He was initially described as the meek, gentle and mild cousin. He was initially personified as the least expected member of the Ballantyne family, if only his personal traits are considered. He was the lead and concluding character of The Leopard Hunts in the Darkness. Think of Craig as a peacekeeper. He was someone who initially preferred the quiet and peaceful life. However, when forces connived to distract Craig, he unleashes the fearless and courageous Ballantyne blood in his system.

The Leopard Hunts in the Darkness was consistent with Wilbur’s Smith’s last. Novels. It contained complex themes of love, betrayal, friendship and the battle for power and politics. The original characters from the Ballantyne family were all gone. In this concluding sequel, Craig served as the lead character. After this long worked recovery, Craig returns to what he considered as his previous home. Unlike the previous installments, a different war awaited Craig. He has been trapped to a shrewd tactic. But having that Ballantyne blood in his system, Craig finds his way to succeed. The last installment draws readers to the hope that at the end of the day, after all those struggles, the good will eventually triumph against the evil. But as to how this will happen, the journey surely entails one exhilarating adventure.

Some readers can identify themselves in at least one of the characters in the Ballantyne series. Some were originally presented as fierce and powerful. On the contrary, these fearless characters will later be presented and defeated with their own weak spots. The common denominator for all Ballantyne characters is their weakness for love. If one falls in love, everything else changes. Even thought it meant breaking the barriers of being enemies, the perspective tend to change for the memebrs of the Ballantyne family. The only different character presented was Craig. Craig was the opposite of everyone. He who started as gentle and quiet was eventually forced to unleash his courageous personality. The one who is most likely to engage in a fight surprisingly ended engaging the biggest fight. Although at the end of the day, Craig also possessed that softer side of the family. He love his wife and valued her.

For those who are seeking an exhilarating read, the Ballantyne series may work for you. The book is filled with elements of character development; plot twists and a very engaging transition. There are a number of sub stories presented, but each are critical in leading the much awaited ending.