Today we kick off the blog tour for the wonderful Warrior and Protector by Peter Gibbons.

Here’s the blurb.

The start of a brand NEW series – an unputdownable fast paced adventure, filled with unforgettable characters.

989 AD.

Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan.

The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane.

A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe’s death and the slaughter that followed, and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.

Beornoth, a brutal and battle-hardened Saxon Thegn, is called to arms to fight and protect the Saxon people from the savage Norse invaders. On a personal crusade, he joins the army of Byrthnoth, Lord of the east Saxons in a desperate fight against the bloodthirsty Vikings.

Beornoth must lay his own demons to bed, survive vicious attacks and find redemption for his tragic past.

Review

The Vikings.. previously defeated.. fled home.. but many years have gone by and time does not heal, some still hold a grudge and it’s time to return.. time for vengeance!

These Vikings are true blood.. not the settled kind who embraced the shores of England.. the brutal murderous kind ready to spill blood.

The King needs warriors to stop this Viking force from shedding more blood, the scars from the last time at sill raw. Real warriors are needed, ones who know how to stand up to these Vikings.

This is when we meet Beornoth, he’s a man of pure strength but he’s broken. The loss of his family to Viking’s sent him spiralling into the drink.. he tumbled so far down he even lost the title Thegn and everything that comes with it!

There’s a chance to reclaim the title.. reclaim the honour associated but Beornoth is bitter and rightly so.. but a chance encounter..and a stupid amount of ale help set Beornoth on his journey of redemption… he’s pretty much left with no choice!

Along the way he faces internal battles as well as the physical ones.. can he stop the drink long enough to become the man he once was? Can he face his demons.. Will fighting the Vikings ease his suffering?

Beornoth struggles playing second fiddle a little, he’s not in command and has also been tasked to look after a boy, the son of Ealdorman Aethelhelm! He’s to train him in battle..yeh this isn’t going to be easy.

The best character for me was Wulfhere, another fallen warrior who swears his sword to Beornoth and the first 5 or 6 chapters really do hook you in and set the scene and cast and give so much development before you really even get stuck into the blood and guts of the tale. To have characters stick in your mind in so few pages is awesome and a credit to the author.

I’ve heard many a good thing about the author but this is my first foray into his world and imagination, and I’m so glad a jumped on this one and feel rather disappointed in myself that it’s taken me this long to pick up one of his books…I’ll learn from this error! Ha.

Set in 10th century England you know the book is going to be filled of blood and guts but that’s only part of it, Gibbons manages to add a wealth of depth and feeling and sets the scene so well, it’s a fiercely powerful tale of redemption.. One I’m fully committed to now!

Warrior and Protector is not your typical warrior tale of battle, it has that but it has the character depth needed to make a series succeed and I’m excited for more!

I really wish I could put some spoilers in to really give you an idea of Beornoth’s journey, there’s soo much history and meaning and this leads to some quite intense and emotional scenes that really hit you.

I don’t like to compare but I always see people do this so here we go.. you’ll love this if you enjoy authors such as Gordon Doherty, Matthew Harffy and C. R. May, each of these 4 have their own style but what they really have in common is depth. A warriors tale, a journey, with pure raw emotion flowing.

Warrior and Protector – A skull cracking 5 star!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.. or support your local retailor 🙂

My thanks go to the author, the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the blog tour! I received an ARC of the book as part of the tour but I’ll be having a copy winging it’s way to me too! Anyone know any good joiners to turn the kids room into a library?

Why not follow the tour –

Author Bio –

Peter Gibbons is a financial advisor and author of the highly acclaimed Viking Blood and Blade trilogy. He comes to Boldwood with his new Saxon Warrior series, set around the 900 AD Viking invasion during the reign of King Athelred the Unready. The first title of the new series, Warrior and Protector, will be published in October 2022. He originates from Liverpool and now lives with his family in County Kildare.

Social Media Links

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Bookbub profile: Peter Gibbons Books – BookBub