Category Archives: War & Military Action Fiction

The Berlin Agent by Stephen Ronson – REVIEW

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Today I’m reviewing The Berlin Agent by Stephen Ronson

Here’s the blurb

A country at war. Bombers fill the skies. A parachute drops in the dead of night…

England 1940: Paris has fallen to the Third Reich. Farmer John Cook and society heiress Lady Margaret are waiting for the day when German tanks roll across the green fields of their homes. Both are ready for the moment they will disappear into the woods and the fields to carry out their top-secret orders – to do whatever it takes to fight the Nazis once they arrive on British soil.

Their worst fears are realised when a parachutist drops from a German bomber during an air raid. Arriving at the scene, Cook finds the white silk hanging from a branch, and a mysterious crate containing a complex piece of machinery. The spy is nowhere to be found.

But at night, Cook and Margaret hear German voices in the darkness. Reports come in of others hearing similar things, and there are whispers of an agent from Berlin…

With enemies already hiding among them, how far will Cook and Margaret go to protect the country and the people they love?

Review

After previously dabbling into the authors world and style of storytelling I was looking forward to reading this one.

Paris has fallen to the Third Reich and Farmer John Cook is on the lookout for spies.

Tension is high and one night a parachute is seen in the sky.. Cook sets out to find out who or what was dropped but things are a little muddled in the dark and who or whatever it was remains a mystery.

Cook tries to get on with his day to day life while keeping an eye out.. and two things quickly become apparent… at times strange voices can be heard.. are they German? And if so where are they?

The second thing is.. could there be trouble closer to home..there’s a lot of drama but is anything connected? Cook is a man of principle and he won’t stand by when someone needs help.. but can he keep everyone safe?

There’s a complex web of events that link wonderfully but at the same time mean the reader is thrown off the scent right until the moment the author wants you to know more. It’s a engaging puzzle waiting to be solved.

Plot and characters both developed at an easy to read pace.. there’s lots of meat on the bone with this one, plenty to get to grips with but it’s clever and gripping in it’s nature. The plot and characters support each other in the development so nothing felt out of place or rushed.

The only word I can think of to sum up the story is EXCITING. From first page to last it’s fun and intriguing, an exciting bunch of characters and you never really know what will happen next. 5/5 stars!

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Rise of a Champion (Legend of the Cid Book 1) by Stuart Rudge – Review

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Today I’m reviewing Rise of a Champion by Stuart Rudge, Book 1 in the Legend of the Cid series.

I stumbled upon Stuart Rudge by chance while on Twitter, promoting his 1st book. I had a lot on my TBR list but I liked the sound of the plot so I thought what the hell.. I’ll buy a copy. Now I’m the first to admit word of mouth tempts me in…and I started to notice others tweeting about this book..every day, 2 or 3 mentions…then when I heard book 2 was just about to be released I thought it high time I find out what the fuss is about.

Here is the blurb –

Antonio Perez is the son of a knight and a returning war hero, yet he loathes the idea of following in his father’s footsteps. But when his father is executed for alleged treason against Fernando, King of Leon-Castile, he launches a desperate bid to save his life and clear his name. Antonio soon learns that the world is much crueller and darker than he ever could have imagined.

Bereft of hope and condemned to slavery for his sins, he finds himself in the household of a young knight named Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a man destined for greatness. Together, they must face their demons and put an end to the man responsible for the downfall of the fathers; known as Azarola, renowned for his fox like cunning and malice, and one of the most powerful lords of Leon.

Rise of a Champion is the epic beginning to the Legend of the Cid.

Review

Antonio is book smart.. he’s not like his father, a war hero, and he’s got very little common with his brother too. Little does he know his life is soon to change and his strengths and weaknesses will be put to the test.

For Antonio life is simple.. he loves to learn and only has eyes for 2 things.. books and Jimena, the daughter of a local count.

Things are not meant to be easy for Antonio and he is to be separated from the girl he yearns for.. he’s going to learn to be a fighter one way or another if his dad has anything to say about it!

Things don’t quite go to plan.

Tragedy soon strikes a heavy blow when Antonio’s father is executed for treason! A crime he did not commit.. but what can Antonio do about it? He’s got to save his own neck first as the men charged with the execution want him too!

From there his life hits a downward spiral. He survives with this brother and cousin at his side but they are very much chalk and cheese.. Inigo his brother is mean and controlling and they are soon involved in events Antonio will live to regret.

I’m not going to spoil what happens but as the synopsis suggests Antonio soon ends in the household of Rodrigo, a fair but harsh man when needed. This relationship sees Antonio grow from a boy into a man.. a man Antonio never thought he would be.. A man his father would be proud to see.

War is brewing and with this comes the chance to exact revenge on the person Antonio believes is responsible for his fathers death.. Azarola.. it’s not going to be easy though.

What I really enjoyed with this tale more than anything was the mix of detail and plot.. the fight scenes were immense and heart stoppingly gripping..not only did you get an overall picture of events of the period the tale is set but you get to see it from Antonio’s eyes, blinkered at times.. with sight only for Azarola.. but can that hatred and lust be tamed? It’s a great balance of history and the authors creative skills allowing him to stamp his mark on the world.

I also really enjoyed that we get to meet Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, who will become known as El Cid, through the eyes of Antonio. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve heard the name.. and heard of the movie from the 60s but that’s as far as my knowledge goes. I love when an author can help introduce me to real history while writing their tale..Not only do a get a wonderful book to read but afterwards I find myself doing my own research.. reading more..and now I can’t wait to get to grips with book 2 in the series!

I love history but largely my knowledge is what I learned at school… so very little since there’s so much out there to learn.. teachers can’t possibly share it all. I really do believe tales this this have a big part to play in keeping history alive. Loved it!

4/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Oathbreaker by Adam Lofthouse

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Next up on David’s Book Blurg I’m reviewing Oathbreaker by Adam Lofthouse!

Here’s the blurb

“It’s not the shadows you should fear, but what hides within.”

Alaric is an enemy of Rome.

For too long he has thwarted the empires attempts to gain control over the land that has long resisted them: Germania.

To the Romans he is a scourge, always evading their carefully laid traps. But to the tribes he is much worse: Outlaw, chief killer, battle turner, Oathbreaker.

All men know him, all men fear him. At his back is a war host, on his shoulder sits Loki, the Trickster.

A deal has been struck between the legions and the tribes: lifelong enemies agree to become friends, for a time. The eagles march with the wolves, together they hunt the raven.

Isolated and lacking in allies, will Alaric be able to break free from the noose that slowly encircles him? Or will the Sly One once more come to his rescue.

OATHBREAKER: One man’s stand against the tyranny of empire.

Review

After reading the authors last two offerings I had high hopes for Oathbreaker..I’ve been craving something a little bit darker..grittier and boy did the author get it spot on!

If you’ve read the authors previous works you’ll know the name Alaric, don’t’ worry if you haven’t as this book will work just as good as a standalone tale.

Alaric is a mercenary for hire and he’s damn good a what he does… he turns the tide in favour of whoever pays the most and there’s not many he wouldn’t stab in the back for the right price.

We find Alaric and his band of 500 battle hardened men, the Ravensworn, in search of their next commission.. the only problem is something doesn’t smell right.

Alaric soon learns a powerful enemy wants him dead.. but why now.. he’s been in game a long time.. it just doesn’t make sense to him. I loved this part of the plot, the pace of the development was spot on revealing just enough to keep you hooked but never enough to give the game away too soon.

One really interesting thing about the book is the backstory of Alaric.. we learn of how he became to be the man he is.. and as much as I didn’t want to I found myself liking the character more and more even though he’s a bringer of death and destruction.

I really enjoyed the development throughout the tale as Alaric fights his way to the truth behind the plot to have him killed.. not only that but the characters themselves were captivating and when the action hit the story was utterly invigorating.. I was on the edge of my seat..especially during the last battle!

There’re so many good characters to pick from but for me Ketill and Birgir shine through simply through not only be interesting characters but also because of the connections they have to Alaric.

I was fully immersed in the vivid battle scenes which had the adrenaline pumping overtime! This is what i wanted.. dark and dirty..life and death.. when push comes to shove niceties go out the window.

The last two offerings from the author were an easy 4* rating from me..great but I craved a darker tale and the tone of Oathbreaker ticked all the boxes for a 5* rating from me. This tale definitely left me with that “damn that was good” feeling you get after a particularly good read.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads