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About the Book

Returning from a dangerous mission to Rome, warlord Beobrand looks forward to peace at home, but bloodshed remains his constant companion.

While bringing criminals to justice Beobrand believes he has discovered a secret alliance between two of Bernicia’s enemies: the Picts and the Mercians. He hastens to warn his king, but finds Oswiu distracted, preparing to marry his eldest son to the daughter of former adversary Penda of Mercia, who remains as slippery as ever.

Dismayed, Beobrand finds himself blamed for breaking the truce with the Mercians, and must fight once more for his life. Worse, Penda insists on taking Oswiu’s young son as a hostage.

Beobrand is surprised when Queen Eanflæd concocts a plot to rescue her son and orders him to take part. It will take all their guile to achieve their goal… and keep their heads, when half the kingdoms of Albion want Bernicia destroyed.

Format: Hardcover (464 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 4th June 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

Bane of Bernicia is the eleventh book in the series set in Anglo-Saxon Britain featuring Beobrand and his faithful band of warriors, the Black Shields. 

The book’s opening follows on directly from the closing scenes of the previous book, Shadows of the Slain, plunging the reader straight into the action. If you’re a follower of the series you’ll know that Beobrand is not known for his calm nature especially when confronted with those who have committed violent acts against people he has sworn to protect. However, meting out what he sees as justice threatens to unravel the precarious peace negotiations between Oswiu, King of Bernicia and Beobrand’s old foe Penda, King of Mercia. Furthermore Oswiu bats aside Beobrand’s warnings about the imminent threat posed by the Picts.

Beobrand’s instinct is to head back to Ubbanford to ready his people to defend the attack he is sure is coming but instead he finds himself taking on a seemingly impossible task: to rescue a hostage from right under the noses of the Mercians. His brain tells him it can’t be done but it’s his heart that’s ruling him because the request comes from none other than Queen Eanflæd, the woman he secretly adores but who appears unattainable. Achieving the mission will require daring, subterfuge and a generous helping of luck. But surely even Beobrand must run out of that at some point? After all, Woden loves chaos.

Beobrand may retain much of his fighting prowess but even a renowned warrior will eventually begin to feel the effects of age. Although let’s pause a moment to reflect on the considerable attractions of his ‘piercing eyes, the scar on his face, his muscled arms and broad chest’. Fortunately he has his faithful Black Shields to come to his aid at vital moments. It’s not just the physical wear and tear either. Beobrand is haunted by memories of the terrible things he’s witnessed on countless bloody battlefields, the faces of the many men he’s killed and the comrades he’s lost. And he still struggles to control the ‘rage-fuelled monster’ he can become in the heat of battle. Perhaps understandable when you’re confronted with a horde of heavily-armed Picts, and outnumbered to boot.

‘After that, for a long while there was no time for thought. There were only the enemies before them and the cacophany and frenzy of battle. The world rang with the clangour of blades, the shouts and insults of men fighting for their lives, and the screams and whimpers of those who were losing that struggle, crying as their lifeblood soaked into the parched soil.’

Closer to home, Beobrand and his son Octa continue their frosty relationship seemingly unable to express their inner feelings to each other. And there are partings as well, one of which in particular left me slightly tearful.

Bane of Bernicia is another thrilling addition to the series, one for those who love their historical fiction full of adventure, and the cut and thrust of battle. And it wouldn’t be a Beobrand tale if there wasn’t a surprise in the final pages.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Action-packed, authentic, dramatic
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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, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

Matthew is the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles and A Time for Swords series, and he also presents the popular podcast Rock, Paper, Swords!

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About the Book

In the aftermath of Rome’s civil war, Agricola returns to Britannia in command of his own legion.

This is not the honour it seems at first. Agricola’s new legion threatens mutiny and the frontier province has suffered under troublesome governors. And the Brigantes, a powerful Celtic tribe in Britannia, are ready to make war against Rome.

To stabilise Roman rule and bring peace, Agricola must use all his political and military skills. But when a new commander is posted to Britannia, Agricola’s efforts have counted for nothing.

For General Petilius Cerialis wants to completely destroy the Brigantes. With the tribe roused to throw off the Roman yoke for good, Agricola must prepare for the greatest war yet in Britannia… one which few will survive.

Format: Paperback (400 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 5th December 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

Commander is the third in the author’s historical fiction series depicting the exploits of Roman general and statesman, Gnaeus Julius Agricola. As the book opens Agricola has been posted back to Britannia and given command of the Twentieth legion. His first job is to ensure they take the military oath to Emperor Vespasian, something they have failed to do up until now. Agricola achieves this with a combination of acknowledgement of their concerns and persuasive rhetoric, eschewing more coercive methods.

This done, the Twentieth join the other legions commanded by the current Governor of Britannia, Marcus Vettius Bolanus, to put down a revolt by the Brigantes, a warlike tribe headed by Venutius. It involves a march north into enemy territory with the risk of ambush at every turn. Bolanus is eager to secure a victory that will impress the new Emperor meaning he’s prepared to throw caution to the wind. A well-defended fortress? No problem, we’ll just storm it. A seemingly impassible river? No problem, we’ll just build some boats or swim across it.

Agricola, being more of a tactician, tries to rein in Bolanus’s more reckless approach only to find Bolanus replaced by Petilius Cerialis, a general even more determined to put down the revolt, and to ensure the tribes of Britannia never rise up again.

Commander is what you might describe as a ‘military procedural’ with the Twentieth’s progress through Britannia based on meticulous research by the author drawn from available historical sources as well as his own extensive knowledge of the period. (Read the Historical Note to see just what I mean.)

But although the story may be full of authentic historical detail, it doesn’t make it any less of a page-turner. Commander is full of exciting, full-on battle scenes, whether that’s the storming of a hilltop fortress, one-to-one combat, or the sheer chaos of open warfare on the battlefield. ‘The fight was a meat grinder, each side determined simply to kill more of the enemy than the other.’

Agricola is a man who eschews the trappings of his rank, prepared to live – and on occasions, fight – alongside his soldiers. His tendency to want to be in the heart of the action is a constrant frustration to Luci, the Silurian warrior who was once Agricola’s slave but is now his trusted companion. Indeed, Agricola has some close shaves and only the selfless courage of his bodyguard ensures his safety.

Agricola doesn’t have the reckless attitude of either Bolanus or Cerialis, but that still means he has to watch men under his command fall in their hundreds as they seek to overcome the Brigantes who are prepared to fight to the death. What Agricola does have on his side, alongside his well-drilled legionnaries, are the Batavi, a force of exceptionally skilled Germanic horsemen who are ferocious in battle and have a liking for a particularly gruesome form of battle souvenir.

Commander is a story of comradeship, the challenges of leadership – and working with a difficult boss! Posted far from home, Agricola’s domestic life with his wife and son is something that has to be carried out at a distance through infrequent exchange of letters, Agricola himself admitting he is a lax correspondent. That may change in the next – and final book – in the series.

My thanks to Head of Zeus for my review copy via NetGalley.

In three words: Authentic, action-packed, intense
Try something similar: Death to the Emperor by Simon Scarrow

About the Author

Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty. He lives in North Yorkshire with his family.

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