About the Book
AD 796 . Sailing in search of an object of great power, Hunlaf and his comrades are far from home when they are caught up in a violent skirmish against pirates.
After the bloody onslaught, an encounter with ships from Islamic Spain soon sees them escorted under guard to the city of Qadis, one of the jewels of the Emirate of Al-Andalus and the true destination of their voyage.
Hunlaf believes the Emir’s lands hold the key to his search, but there are dangerous games at play. To achieve his goal, Hunlaf and his allies must walk a difficult path where friends and enemies alike are not always what they seem – and where a weapon deadlier than any yet seen could change the future of all the kingdoms in Europe.
Format: eARC (448 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 28th September 2023 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
A Day of Reckoning is the third book in the author’s ‘A Time for Swords’ series, the follow-up to A Time for Swords and A Night of Flames both of which I’ve read and reviewed. A Day of Reckoning could be read as a standalone as there are recaps of previous events to bring new readers up to date but if you’re a lover of action-packed historical fiction I’d recommend reading the series from the beginning.
Once again Hunlaf is both chief protagonist and narrator. Now advanced in age and becoming increasingly frail, he is setting down the details of his eventful life, one which saw him abandon his calling as a monk to become a warrior and adventurer. (Retaining the mischievous spirit of his younger self, he’s writing his memoir when he should be working on something else.)
A Day of Reckoning sees Hunlaf continue his quest for a book known as The Treasure of Life, a book which he longs to study whilst at the same time he fears has the power to corrupt minds, something demonstrated all too clearly in A Night of Flames. In fact, looking back, he now refers to it as ‘that accursed tome’. The search takes Hunlaf and his comrades to the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsular, including the cities of Cadiz, Seville and Cordoba. There they find themselves becoming involved in a kind of 8th century arms race.
Many characters make a return appearance including the fearsome Norse warrior and master shipbuilder, Runolf Ragnarsson and – much to Hunlaf’s delight – Runolf’s daughter Revna.
As you might expect, they face many perils along the way and there are some terrific action scenes, including a battle with a pirate ship and a breathless escape from a mountain top fortress. Although we know Hunlaf will live to fight another day – although of course he doesn’t – that’s not necessarily the case for all his comrades. It’s something that weighs heavily on Hunlaf’s mind, a feeling of guilt that he has unwittingly been the cause of others’ deaths. At the same time, he’s happy to acknowledge that he’s been a bit of a lad since casting off his monk’s robe and that the thrill of battle can sometimes overwhelm him. ‘I had chosen the path of the warrior, and when called upon to fight, I was gripped by a savage abandon that made me deadly.’
A Day of Reckoning is the kind of historical fiction that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and doesn’t let go until you reach the end, slightly breathless but with the sense of having been completely immersed in another time and place. And as before, the author leaves us with tantalising glimpses of exploits Hunlaf has yet to tell us about. But will he? To borrow Runolf’s catchphrase, I guess ‘anything is possible’.
I received a digital review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.
In three words: Action-packed, enthralling, pacy
Try something similar: The Serpent King by Tim Hodkinson
About the Author
Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire with his wife and their two daughters.
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