Category Archives: Book Reviews

In the Shadows of Castles by G K Holloway – REVIEW

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Today I’m reviewing In the Shadows of Castles by G K Holloway

Here’s the blurb

It’s the 1060s, and William of Normandy is establishing a new and brutal regime in England, but there are those who would defy him. As Norman soldiers spread like a plague across the land, resistance builds, but will it be enough to topple William and restore the rightful king to his throne? The English have the courage to fight, but the Normans, already victorious at Hastings, now build castles seeking to secure their tenuous foothold in these lands.

And what of the people caught up in these catastrophic events? Dispossessed but not defeated, their lives ripped apart, the English struggle for freedom from tyranny; amongst them, caught up in the turmoil, are a soldier, a thane and two sisters. As events unfold, their destinies become intertwined, bringing drastic changes that alter their lives forever.

Firmly embedded in the history of the Conquest, ‘In the Shadows of Castles’ is ultimately a story of love, hope and survival in a time of war.

Review

‘In the Shadows of Castles’ details events that occurred after 1066 and is a follow up to the wonderful ‘1066: What Fates Impose’ I highly recommend you pick this one up too as it’s one of the best I’ve read on the subject.

After any major battle you just know things won’t settle quickly and 1066 is a fine example of how war can lead to disarray, and rarely peace.

William may have claimed England but there are many English nobles who don’t like the idea of bending a knee to this man.

You’d be forgiven to think a new King might want to settle his new country a little after such a fierce battle.. yes you need to ensure the populace and the nobles recognise your right to rule but William enforces a brutal regime that the populace won’t stand for!

As you can imagine there’s a few skirmishes along the way as well as political moves from both sides and living through this uncertain period must have been very frightening indeed.

There’s a couple of things I really really really enjoyed, firstly the time period. I think lots has been written around the events of 1066, but not so much time is given to the succeeding years.

I also really enjoy the authors style of writing. I used to have a history teacher at school who really manged to make the past come alive and G K Holloway has the gift for this too. He manages to weave history with his own set of fictional characters to really make the events come to life. I think text books are great don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you need to make things more personable for events to really hit home hit.

There’s so much detail added for those you really enjoy that aspect too but it’s mixed perfectly with the plot, never forced, so the story flows well.

I can’t recommend G K Holloway any more highly. 5*

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon! Or any good local retailor 😊

BLOG TOUR – Kings of War by M. J. Porter.

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Today is my turn on the blog tour for Kings of War by M. J. Porter.

Here’s the blurb

Can the King of the Scots and the Dublin Norse triumph against a united England?

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King Athelstan of the English has been successful in uniting the many kingdoms of Britain against one enemy, the Viking raiders.

But men who are kings don’t wish to be ruled.

Constantin, King of the Scots, rebelled against the Imperium and was forcibly brought to bend the knee to Athelstan and England at Cirencester.

His son Ildulb seeks bloody vengeance from Athelstan following the battle at Cait and the death of his son.

Olaf Gothfrithson, king of the Dublin Norse, having asserted his power following his father’s death has his sights set on reclaiming Jorvik.

Can the united might of the Scots and the violence of the Dublin Norse, descendants of the infamous Viking raiders, bring King Athelstan and his vision of the united Saxon English to her knees?

An epic story of kingsmanship that will result in the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh, where only one side can be victorious.

Review

King Athelstan has united Britain but threats are close.. King Constantin of Scotland is not to be thought of as weak and while he puts on a good show in the background political rumblings mean peace surely won’t last… and a bloody war is just around the corner.

I really enjoyed this instalment as I loved the chapter style, each part of the story told from the perspectives of the main characters. This added a depth to the tale as you could see their gut reactions to events, it just made the characters feel real and you could see their own internal wars trying to maintain the power they have, not wanting to appear weak knowing to be King they need to show strength even if peace is the best option for all.

M.J. Porter is well known to me for bringing history to life and this is the perfect example of historical fiction done perfectly. Packed full of historical detail but with the added pinch of the authors style of development leads to a fast following, easy read. With the genre, names, places etc it’s often easy to get overwhelmed but M. J. Porter allows the time for the story to flow naturally, but at a good pace, introducing characters and their place within the story effortlessly.

When I read historical fictions books I’m mainly looking for the action.. the blood and gore and while King’s of War offers this if also gives me so much more, it’s the character development, their motivations, the fear not only of war but fear from your own people turning against you.. it just made what would have been a turbulent time feel more real.. so instead of just reading it.. I felt it.. my own blood racing as the pressure mounts… again it’s all about the build up baby and I loved it!

Being the 2nd book in a series I’d always suggest reading the 1st, just for added depth but King’s of War is perfect as a standalone just as much!

Another 5* corker from the prolific M. J. Porter!

My thanks go to @rararesources for having me on the tour, as well as the author and publisher for supplying an ARC to aid my review. As usual though… I’m buying the book too

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia – so their writing destiny was set. The first novel in their new Anglo-Saxon series for Boldwood Son of Mercia was published in February 2022.

Social Media Links –  

Twitter https://twitter.com/coloursofunison

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/m_j_porter/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews

Para Bellum by Simon Turney – REVIEW

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Today I’m reviewing Para Bellum by Simon Turney!

Here’s the blurb

A powerful new novel set in the fourth-century Roman Empire by critically acciaimed historical novelist Simon Turney, Para Bellum will delight fans of Scarrow, Kane and Cornwell.

AD 381. Five years have gone by since a Roman governor ordered the deaths of a Gothic king and his attendants at a feast in their honour. This disastrous act led to warfare in the Roman Empire and the death of the Emperor Valens.

The Empire is now at peace, but the powerful brother of the murdered king has sworn revenge on the regicides, and will not rest until they are hunted down. For the eight legionaries who carried out the killings, the bloodshed is only just beginning.

Flavius Focalis is one of those legionaries. After narrowly surviving an attempt on his life, Focalis seeks to warn his former comrades, for he knows their enemy is implacable. So begins a deadly game of cat-and-mouse across the Empire, with far more than eight lives at stake. For war is coming – and the only question is: do they die now, or die later?

Review

Focalis awakes one night.. his solider senses tingling.. all is not right.

The past has come back to haunt him.. he knows why.. he’s been waiting for this day all his life… he would have accepted his fate, but not today, he has his son to think about.

It’s been many years since Focalis and his bunk mates acted on behalf of the empire but its time now to get everyone back together to come up with a plan.. there has to be a way out of this mess..the issue is it’s the Goths that are after them and they won’t give up easily.

We don’t learn quickly the events that have led to the Goth’s vengeance.. Focalis is struggling with his part in something.. but what? And what could they have done to earn the Goth’s attention? I loved the development.. perfectly paced with intrigue.

Innocents pay a heavy price along the way and we see a shift in Focalis.. vengeance is the word for this tale.. but who will have the last sword strike?

As Focalis and his son set out to round everyone up things quickly sour.. it’s clear quickly not everyone will make it out alive and the past has taken its toll on many.. but they aren’t done for yet!

What we end up with is a desperate fight of some of the legions finest.. against hundreds of Goths… the twist hit’s hard now and the truth of what happened years ago becomes clear.. is there anywhere safe for Focalis?

I’ve deliberately tried to keep the review spoiler free.. it’s too good to spoil.. but truth be told Simon Turney is a master at his craft. Historical fiction is his era but plots are his bread and butter. You can tell the effort put in to set the scene, tp pick the right moment in time but what Turney’s talent is, is to weave such a fascinating tale within that period setting, it’s the characters, the progression and depth, the energy.. the laughs… the torment..

Turney hints in the authors note around his own knowledge of the era, but that’s what makes him so good at writing.. so prolific..he knows how to expand on history.. there’s no point rehashing what’s been done..he gets the detail in but it’s all about the characters he creates.

What I really loved was the characters development, each man has their own talent and those scenes when they got to shine were brilliant..the enthusiasm bounced off the page!

Simon is a firm fav here on David’s Book Blurg.. and continues blow me away with his work. 5/5 stars.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon! Or any good local retailor 😊

BLOG TOUR – Terminal Black by Colin Garrow

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Terminal Black by Colin Garrow.

Here’s the blurb.

A stolen identity. A hitman. A bent cop.

Relic Black takes things that don’t belong to him—credit cards, golf clubs, toothbrushes. But when a hitman mistakes him for someone else, Relic lands himself in a difficult situation. With a dead man on his hands and a guilty conscience, he sets off to save the life of the man whose identity he has stolen. And that’s when the real trouble starts…

Review

Relic Black is a man who simply takes what he wants in life. He targets those he knows won’t miss the money too quickly and enjoys living on the edge.

Little does he know that the identity he’s currently using is going to lead him into a cr*p load of trouble with the Inverness crime scene.

Relic senses something is up, and his worst thoughts are confirmed with a knock on the door… no one knows where he is.. this can’t be good.

I won’t spoil the fun too much but I loved the build-up, a frantic fight with a body to dispose of.. only for another body to show up.. and a bloody marvellous twist or 2 thrown in too! Relic really has got himself in trouble but he hasn’t a clue why..

In a aim to get himself out of trouble he tries telling the truth..but will these men believe his tale..

I loved the plot, crocked cops, gangsters, assassins and dead bodies mixed with perfectly timed dark humour leads to a 5* raving thriller!

Mr Garrow has a way with words, and perfectly sets the tone, direction and style of the tale effortlessly.

The best news was learning there’s more to come from Relic and I’ll be purchasing the next two books shortly 😊

My thanks go to Colin Garrow and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I only accept ARCs to aid timely reviews but I’ve already grabbed myself a kindle copy.. at only £2.99 it’s a steal!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including: taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. All Colin’s books are available as eBooks and paperback.

His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Word Bohemia, Every Day Fiction, The Grind, A3 Review, 1,000 Words, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. He currently lives in a humble cottage in North East Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He also makes rather nice cakes.

Social Media Links – ​Website/Blog

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Smashwords

Facebook

The Watson Letters

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden – REVIEW

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Next up on David’s Book Blurg I’m reviewing The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.

Here’s the blurb

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Review

The Housemaid follows Millie, a down on her luck gal who is just trying to start her life again after some very painful events.

Millie applies to be a housemaid for the Winchesters, she has zero chance of getting the job if a background check is done…so it’s a surprise when she receives a phone call offering her the job!

The job just seems too good to be true.. a roof over her head, decent pay..and Nina Winchester seems lovely…but…something niggles, is it too good to be true?

When Millie starts there’s a shift to Nina straight away and you’d be forgiven for thinking she was a little crazy..and to top if off Millie sleeps in a attic room that’s more of a closest..Despite this Millie makes the most of things.. it’s still by far better than the alternative.

As the story progresses we learn the marriage between Nina and Andrew is far from perfect, there’s tension and a lot of history simmering..

Millie continues to try to get on with her job and ignore the erratic behaviour of Nina but in doing so she sees something in Andrew..she feels sorry for him, afterall Nina can’t be making him happy.. but she could..but she’s the maid and he’s married.

Things start to take a dark turn. I’m certainly not one for spoilers but it’s safe to say the twists come and while I had some inkling the events that played out were so much better and more terrifying than I could have imagined.

I’m late to the party I know but with all the sunshine we’ve been having I needed a new book to get stuck into. Psychological thrillers aren’t my usual go to genre but I fancied something different.. and I’m glad I pick this one up.

Might I add I bought this at The Works, a favourite haunt of mine for books, so firstly the main reason I picked this one up was the cover, then one simple line in the synopsis had me hooked.. “my bedroom door only locks from the outside”.

Overall I loved this one. The pace of the plot was great and the level of detail and development to the characters matched perfectly. Very easy flow to the tale and gripping is an understatement.

A thoroughly enjoyable and deviously designed story to keep the reader guessing what will happen next.

5/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Have You Seen This? By Steven McKay – REVIEW

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Today I’m reviewing Have You Seen This? By Steven McKay.

Here’s the blurb

“Have you seen this?” An innocent enough question, asked millions of times around the world every day, but tonight it will lead to a shocking, violent event that destroys multiple lives.
Glaswegian forklift truck driver Jack is quietly enjoying his tea break when a friend shows him something on the internet. Outrage follows, quickly spreading through social media, and within hours an angry mob has formed to put the world to rights. Modern justice is soft, as Jack knows, so perhaps its time things were done like they were in the good old days…

Steven A. McKay is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction novels and short stories including The Druid, The Heathen Horde, and Wolf’s Head. “Have You Seen This?” is his first foray into the modern thriller genre and is every bit as powerful as his previous tales, making the reader ponder the very nature of our present reality, and just where technology is leading us.

Enjoy this quick read that will leave you questioning humanity’s place in the future and, more worryingly, whether it’s too late to do anything about it…
Based on a real event.

Review

Have you seen this is a short tale from author Steven McKay. For fans of the author the biggest thing you’ll notice in the change in genre, but you need not be worried it’s still a cracking tale!

McKay deftly switches to a modern day setting and explores something that has been at the forefront of a lot of press recently, AI.

Artificial intelligence has many benefits but used unwisely, or without oversight could cause some concerns.

I know the author recently discussed the topic of AI on their pod cast Rock, Paper, Swords recently too but a scary thought now is that the written word won’t be real, rather AI generated and the morals behind using such technology. Have You Seen This? Explores one such danger.. what if the information produced is incorrect…

Jack falls victim to AI and mob mentality when a post on a website suggests a teacher may not be the best person to look after his child. As any parent would do, you would be concerned and would want action taken… but what would you do if you had the chance to take action yourself..what would you do with dutch courage running through your system? Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Jack reaps the punishment for believing everything you read online.

I think we would all like to believe in the ideal of innocent until proven guilty but with the way social media is, and how accessible information is, it’s a lot harder to not to form a judgment and the ideal gets knocked on it’s head, to guilty until proven innocent and even then some would still have doubts. I guess it’s kind of human nature, an aspect I don’t particularly like and McKay has picked on that perfectly, the dangers behind acting on emotions…and now the added worry of AI generated articles without research behind it or oversight.

Have You Seen This? Will take around 30 minutes of anyone’s time to read but will stay with you longer than that, it’s thought provoking and emotive 5* read.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon!

The Scots of Dalriada by Rowena Kinread

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Today I’m reviewing The Scots of Dalriada by Rowena Kinread.

Here’s the blurb

THREE BROTHERS

Fergus, Loarn and Angus, Princes of the Dalriada, are forced into exile by their scheming half-brother and the druidess Birga One-tooth.

THREE FATES

Fergus conceals himself as a stable lad on Aran and falls helplessly in love with a Scottish princess, already promised to someone else. Loarn crosses swords against the Picts. Angus designs longboats.

TOGETHER A MIGHTY POWER

Always on the run the brothers must attempt to outride their adversaries by gaining power themselves. Together they achieve more than they could possibly dream of.

Fergus Mór (The Great) is widely recognised as the first King of Scotland, giving Scotland its name and its language. Rulers of Scotland and England from Kenneth mac Alpín until the present time claim descent from Fergus Mór.

Full of unexpected twists and turns, this is a tale of heart-breaking love amidst treachery, deceit and

Book information

  • Genre:  Historical Fiction (5th Century, Scotland and Ireland)
  • Print length:  250 pages (79K  words)
  • Age range: This is an adult book but suitable for mature teens aged 16+
  • Trigger warnings: Violent deaths, infant death

Review

From the synopsis I knew straight away The Scots of Dalriada was the book for me.

The story follows Erc of Dalriada and his sons Fergus, Loarn and Angus as they take shelter from their evil half brother who resents them and wants power all for himself.

We see each character grow, find love and discover their own individuality and skills and we learn the depths some men will go to, to get what they crave.

The writing style is very much no nonsense, short and sharp.. no preamble. The book is kind of written in a text book style with information flowing but at the same time injected with a bit more depth to keep the reader interested which I found hooked me in quite nicely.

Pace wise the story flows fast, there’s no wasted time so the reader moves quickly through the tale but at the same time enough character growth for me to become invested in them.

The best kind of historical fiction is the kind that feels real makes you feel each tragedy, each bit of passion.. each gut wrenching turn. The Scots of Dalriada certainly ticks all the boxes.

Well worth grabbing a copy!

4/5 stars

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

My thanks go to the author, publisher and Coffee and Thorn for the review copy to aid my review and for having me on the tour!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire with her large family and a horde of pets.

She began writing in the nineties. Her special area of interest is history. After researching her ancestry and finding family roots in Ireland with the Dalriada clan, particularly this era. Her debut fiction novel titled “The Missionary” is a historical novel about the dramatic life of St. Patrick. It was published by Pegasus Publishers in April 2021 and has been highly appraised by The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times.

Her second novel “The Scots of Dalriada” centres around Fergus Mór, the founder father of Scotland and takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland. It was published by Pegasus in January 2023.

Ravensworn by Adam Lofthouse – Review

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Today I’m reviewing the soon to be released Ravensworn by Adam Lofthouse!

Here’s the blurb.

It’s been six years since Alaric’s great defeat. Six years of skulking in the shadows, drinking the days away.

He thinks his life over, the glory days behind him. Until a band of horsemen appear on the horizon, eager to recruit the man they still believe to be a lord of war.

And so Alaric must drag himself from his slumber, don his mail once more. For in the far north of Germania lies a tribe in desperate need of aid. They seek an army of bristling spears, a wall of wooden shields with an iron will. What they’ll get is one tired old man.

In the far reaches of the land, for a cause not his own, Alaric will fly the Raven banner once more. In doing so, he will discover if he is still the man he once was, or if he is destined to feast at the Heroes Hall at last.

Review

Firstly I must commend the author for such a versatile character, this may be the 2nd book in the Ravensworn series but we’ve met Alaric before.. If you haven’t already I do recommend you check out the rest of the authors works, you can read Ravensworn without but why would you want to? Ha. Each book is brilliantly written as a standalone but shine even more intensely when you’ve read them all!

Alaric was once the leader of 500 men.. 500 hardened killers.. then one day this was all taken from him. We now see Alaric, older, but just a wily. He’s not really moved on, if anything the past haunts him.. the men he’s lost.

One day a group of visitors arrive seeking the great lord Alaric and his Ravensworn.. but the Ravensworn are no more…Alaric though starts to feel the heat rising.. this could be his time once again.. he makes it out like its for the reward, for saving a tribe from another in war but what is really wants is to feel what he did years ago.. he’s a fighter..he needs the rush.

When Alaric arrives it soon becomes clear things are not as simple as he first thought, there’s secrets hidden, and to top it off one of the men with him on the journey is a traitor.. but who? And why?

There’s no time for that though as Alaric is forced into battle once more, forced to become a leader again.

Ravensworn is Alaric’s redemption tale. Many years ago he lost his way and it cost him those closest to him but now he sees a chance to be the man he really wants to be. It’s not going to change the past but he knows it’s time to stand and fight against a foe that outnumbers him…even if that means losing. He may have earned the name Oathbreaker but he never broke and oath to the Ravensworn!

The Ravensworn don’t know what losing is and while Alaric’s 500 men are a thing of the past a new Ravensworn are born in the heat of battle!

As the tale progresses there’s some lovely twists and turns as the past comes to bite Alaric where it hurts, it was enthralling.

What I really loved was the characters, so much depth added to each. There’s a lot of battle scenes so to get the right mix of detail and depth must be quite hard to do but boy does the author know how to weave a tale.

Eadger for example, oh my what a journey he goes on. It seems like all these men are fighting their own demons.

I particularly liked how some battle scenes were cut short, not to say they aren’t really complete but it’s is Alaric’s tale.. his retelling.. so those gaps worked perfectly and helped add to the depth of the overall tale.

Ravensworn shows us the man Alaric is.. the man we always knew he was.

I won’t lie, reading the authors note I can’t help feel it a shame this will likely be the last time we see Alaric, but it’s a fitting end to such a remarkable character.

Outstanding 5/5 stars!

My thanks go to the author for an ARC copy to aid review. I’ll be ordering a paperback to join Oathbreaker!

To pre-order head to Amazon!

BLOG TOUR – The Vanishing of Class 3B by Jackie Kable

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Today I’m glad to be taking part in the blog tour for the newly released, The Vanishing of Class 3B by Jackie Kabler!

Here’s the blurb.

One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip.

But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong.

The children and their teachers simply do not come back.

What’s happened doesn’t seem possible.

How can an entire class of children simply vanish?

Review

What a riveting thriller. How could so many children and adults just disappear.. did they have an accident.. or is something more sinister afoot.

These kind of chilling events aren’t common but would be any parents worse nightmare.

What I particularly liked is that the story plays on your emotions. the unknown. We’ve all sat there a some point and have over-thought a situation and the worst possible outcome and this book plays nicely into this fear.

There’s quote a few twists and misdirection to keep you on your toes but as time goes by things start to heat up as revelations are revealed, all this is setup quickly but plays on throughout, smouldering all the way until the truth is revealed right at the end.

With a plot like this I feel it’s hard to really develop the characters as motivations can be hidden but the author did a great job of setting the scenes and injecting detail just when you needed it.

Overall The Vanishing of Class 3B is packed full of suspense and misdirection, leading to an enthralling read.

4/5 Stars.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

My thanks go to Jackie Kabler, One More Chapter and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I only accept ARCs to aid timely reviews but I’ve already grabbed myself a kindle copy.. at only 99p it was a steal!

Have I tempted you? If so why not enter the giveaway to win a signed copy? Enter below 🙂

Giveaway to Win a Signed Copy of The Vanishing of Class 3B (Open to UK Only)

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio – Jackie Kabler is an Amazon number one and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers, including The Perfect Couple, Am I Guilty?, The Happy Family and The Murder List. Her novels have sold nearly a million copies around the world and have been translated into eight languages. Previously she worked as a newspaper reporter and then in television news for twenty years, including nearly a decade on GMTV. She later appeared on BBC and ITV news, presented a property show for Sky, hosted sports shows on Setanta Sports News and worked as a media trainer for the Armed Forces. She now combines writing with working as a presenter on shopping channel QVC. Jackie lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.

Social Media Links –

Twitter @jackiekabler

Instagram @officialjackiekabler

BLOG TOUR – Eagle of Mercia by M.J. Porter

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Today we kick off the blog tour for the newly released Eagle of Mercia by M.J. Porter.

Here’s the blurb

A mercy mission in the heart of Wessex is beset with deadly, bloody dangers.

Tamworth AD831

Icel’s profile continues to rise. Lord of Budworth and warrior of Mercia, he’s acknowledged by King Wiglaf and his comrades to keep Mercia safe from the ravages of Wessex, the king-slayer of the East Angles, and the Viking raiders.

But, danger looms.  Alongside Spring’s arrival comes the almost certain threat of the Viking raiders return.

When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Icel is implored by Lady Cynehild to rescue her husband.

To rescue Lord Coenwulf, Icel and his fellow warriors must risk themselves twice over, for not only must they overpower the Viking raiders, they must also counter the threat of Mercia’s ancient enemy, the kingdom of Wessex as they travel through their lands.

Far from home and threatened on all sides, have Icel and his fellow warriors sworn to carry out an impossible duty?

Review

Eagle of Mercia is book 4 in the now well established Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. I feel like it was only yesterday I read the first book but so much has happened since.

Icel is a fully fledged warrior now with his days as a healer gone.. but never forgotten. I really loved how the author give little nods to past events, these are perfect reminders for those familiar with the series but also allow new readers to catch up quickly and to understand motivations.

I really felt the depth of Icel in the instalment, you can see he is starting to grow older and sees the world in a different light.

There’s also a dash of secrecy to the tale. Icel still does not know much about his family but he learns he is linked to an old king in some way.. but Icel doesn’t want power or fame, he really just wants to get on with his life, but will people let him? And what’s the connection.. is there more to it than what he is being told.

If that wasn’t enough stress for Icel he’s also torn romantically, unsure of his feelings toward a lady that can never be his.

As you can see from the blurb there’s more at stake than Icel’s difficulties.. Lord Coenwulf is taken hostage by the Viking’s and a rescue attempt must be mounted. These are savagely strong warriors, how can they possibly get Lord Coenwulf back safely?

Add to that the men of Wessex are marching but why, and who is really behind it all…There’s a lot of political intrigue around certain motivations and Icel’s is sort of caught in the middle at times with no rock to hide behind.

What really works well is the balance between character driven plot and the wider plot, it’s a nice way to break up events for the reader but also helps you feel for the characters, I need the realness, to see Icel’s weaknesses as well as his strengths really made me fall in love with the character and this series.

Eagle of Mercia is packed full of adventure, action, hate, lust, intrigue.. the list goes on but safe to say it ticks all the boxes and more. A resounding 5/5 star success!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

My thanks go to M.J. Porter, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I only accept ARCs to aid timely reviews but this will certainly be add a paperback to the permanent collection soon.

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Author Bio –

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia – so their writing destiny was set. The first novel in their new Anglo-Saxon series for Boldwood Son of Mercia was published in February 2022.

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