Tag: historical fiction

Book Review – The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy

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About the Book

Book cover of The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy, first book in The Bernicia Chronicles

633AD. Anglo-Saxon Britain. Beobrand is compelled by his brother’s almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits.

With no patronage and no experience Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall.

As he closes in on his kin’s slayer and the bodies pile up, can Beobrand mete out the vengeance he craves without sacrificing his honour … or even his soul?

Format: ebook (346 pages) Publisher: Aria
Publication date: 1st April 2015 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

The Serpent Sword is the first book in Matthew Harffy’s ‘The Bernicia Chronicles’ series set in 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain, the period often referred to as the Dark Ages. I came across the series at book six, Storm of Steel and have read all the subsequent books: Fortress of Fury, For Lord and Land and Forest of Foes. (Links from the titles will take you to my review of each book.) Browsing my NetGalley shelf I realised that I had this, the first book in the series, still unread so I set about putting that right.

The young Beobrand we encounter at the beginning of the book is a rather tortured soul. He has suffered the loss of most of his family and then discovers he has in fact lost all of his family following the murder of his brother, Octa. His thirst for revenge only fuels his desire to become a warrior. Although he dreams of glory in battle, he’s unprepared for the reality of warfare and the anguish it will bring.

Beobrand makes mistakes, falling in with a band of warriors whose ruthless actions bring about a crisis of conscience. Where is the honour in such deeds? He also witnesses first-hand – and we the reader along with him – the full horror of warfare and the visceral nature of being part of a shieldwall. ‘All along the line men were grunting and shouting abuse. Screams of the injured and dying mingled with the mad laughter of warriors wallowing in the glory of battle. All was accented by the clash and and crash of metal on metal.’

Although possessing the natural instincts of a warrior – and just as importantly, luck – Beobrand has to learn his craft. It’s work that will stand him in good stead as he takes on a formidable opponent. And by the end of the book, there is more at stake than just his honour or even revenge. What does ‘wyrd’ [fate or destiny] have in store for Beobrand? As he is reminded, ‘[…] the way of the sword is not rife with happiness. The sword is like a serpent. You can try to tame it, but it is venomous and will often bite the hand that holds it’. Those who have read subsquent books in the series will know how true this is.

Although Beobrand is a fictional character, real historical figures feature in the book too. However, as the author points out in the Historical Notes, no contemporanous accounts exist although that does provide opportunities for the novelist. As Matthew Harffy observes, ‘The fact that it is a time seen as “through a glass, darkly”, makes it a perfect time to write about’.

My digital copy of The Serpent Sword includes a preview of the next book in the series, The Cross and the Curse, which intriguingly opens in 619AD, fourteen years before The Serpent Sword. Luckily I recently came across a copy of The Cross and the Curse in the Oxfam bookshop in Henley-on-Thames. I just need to make sure I don’t leave it as long to read it as I have this one.

Matthew Harffy is also the author of the A Time for Swords series set in 8th century Britain, comprising A Time for Swords, A Night of Flames and A Day of Reckoning, and the standalone Wolf of Wessex. As you may have gathered, I’m a big admirer of Matthew’s books and if you’re a fan of action-packed historical fiction I can wholeheartedly recommend The Bernicia Chronicles series. Unlike me, perhaps start the series from the beginning though?

I received a digital review copy of The Serpent Sword courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Action-packed, compelling, authentic
Try something similar: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

About the Author

Matthew Harffy, author of The Bernicia Chronicles

Before becoming a full-time author, Matthew worked in the IT industry, where he spent most of his days writing and editing, just not the words that most interested him! Prior to that, he worked in Spain as an English teacher and translator.

Matthew lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters (Photo: Goodreads author page)


Book Review – To Kill a King by David Gilman @AriesFiction @HoZ_Books

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About the Book

Book cover To Kill a King by David Bilman

1367. Having angered the bloodthirsty Don Pedro, King of Castile, Sir Thomas Blackstone is thoroughly sick of his mission for the Prince of Wales, but must remain true to his oath. But this is the Hundred Years’ War, and tensions are rising once more. With the Prince of Wales deeply unpopular in his Aquitainian lands, Blackstone, King Edward’s Master of War, must return to French soil to help stem the tide of support for the King of France.

Meanwhile, Henry, Blackstone’s son, faces an incognito ride across France with his own motley band of outlaws and mercenaries. But the French are aware of the younger Blackstone’s journey, and see a perfect way to target the Master of War…

Format: ebook (458 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 1st February 2024 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

To Kill a King is the eighth book in David Gilman’s ‘Master of War’ series. As is often the case, I haven’t read all the books in the series. I started with good intentions, reading the first book, The Blooding, back in 2016. It charts Thomas Blackstone’s rise from humble stonemason’s apprentice to skilled archer fighting the French at the battle of Crécy. The second book in the series, Defiant Unto Death, has been lingering on my Kindle for more years than I care to mention. Between then and now there’s been a lot of blood spilt and Blackstone has fought many battles, lost many comrades, suffered personal tragedy and defied death on numerous occasions.

It’s probably easiest if you’ve read previous books in the series but, if you haven’t – or have missed great chunks of the series like me – To Kill a King can be read as a standalone. I would suggest reading the Author’s Note to get a sense of the historical situation at the point the book opens. The list of characters at the beginning of the book will also introduce you to Blackstone’s most loyal and trusted comrades. They’ve travelled many miles together and fought many battles. ‘And where is home? For any of us? It is where we are with whom we ride. That is home…’

Blackstone’s son, Henry, has a lot to live up to, something he is intent on doing rather than continuing his studies in Oxford under the safety of an assumed name. Henry is the chink in his father’s armour (if you’ll pardon the pun), a reminder of the woman Blackstone loved and lost under tragic circumstances. There’s never been another to replace her, although some have come tantalisingly close.

You want battle scenes? You’ll get them in spades in To Kill a King: skirmish after skirmish, ambush after ambush, deadly hails of arrows and crossbow bolts, bloody close-quarter killing. ‘War hammers crushed bones… Men shrieked: pleas for clemency unheard above the cacophony of screams, whinnying horses, trumpets and drums.’ On plenty of occasions Blackstone has to rely on his ill-natured ‘bastard horse’, his trusty Wolf Sword or his sixth sense for danger to dodge death. And, if you want some really nasty villains, there are those too. In fact, if you’re a bit squeamish, you might want to skip over a few scenes.

The end of the book involves some brilliant scenes in which Blackstone proves what an unstoppable force he is, but also what he is prepared to do in order to protect his son. Will Blackstone live to fight another day? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

If you love historical fiction where the action comes thick and fast, then you’ll enjoy To Kill a King.

I received a digital review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Action-packed, authentic, compelling
Try something similar: Essex Dogs by Dan Jones

About the Author

Author David Gilman

David Gilman has enjoyed many careers, including paratrooper, firefighter, and photographer. An award-winning author and screenwriter, he is the author of the critically acclaimed Master of War series of historical novels, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize for The Last Horseman. He was longlisted for the same prize for The Englishman, the first book featuring ex-French Foreign Legionnaire Dan Raglan. David lives in Devon.

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