Tag Archives: Adam Lofthouse

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!

Valentia by Adam Lofthouse – Review

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Today I’m reviewing Valentia by Adam Lofthouse!

Here’s the blurb

Meet Tribune Sixtus Victorinus. Drunken soldier. Absent father. Unlikely hero.


Wall of Hadrian, Britannia, AD 367

It’s just another day, until it isn’t. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus is scouting north of the Wall when he first sees the smoke. Little does he know it’s about to change his life forever. Riding south he finds a province in chaos, the local populace in flight, the soldiers absent.

For rebellion is in the air at the far reaches of empire. The land is ablaze, overrun with barbarians, ‘Valentia’, is the word on everyone’s lips. And no one seems to have the first clue what to do about it.

And so Victorinus must act. He has let his life run to ruin, drunk his youth away. Now he must forge himself into the soldier he always wanted to be, the hero his children think he is.

Because his family are among the missing, and traitors lurk much closer than he could ever believe.

To save his family, he must first save an empire.

Review

As a fan of the authors work I was looking forward to this one immensely!

Victorinus and his men are outcasts of a sought.. the dregs of the army, drunks and those who cannot be tamed.. but good men worth keeping around.. even at a distance.

Rebellion reaches the empire and the name Valentia is seen across the land.

Victorinus and his small band set out to see what can be done and head to see his friend Felicius. Felicuis and Victorinus have know each other for years.. kind of opposites but at the same time hold some of the same qualities.. if only Victorinus could overcome his demons!

The book starts well and the plot moves at the perfect speed building the pressure as Victorinus and Felicuis spit up with the same aim.. find out who is behind this and stop them.

Roman forts have been abandoned… but where are the bodies..and theirs multiple enemies reported all over..who would have the power and money to make this happen or is it all one big coincidence? And what or who is Valentia… is everyone being honest about what they know?

We see many battles along the way, death & pain & treachery .. on land as well as at sea and the detail given was brilliant, so much packed in but with that pinch of development needed to grip you and bring the characters to life along the way which Lofthouse manged to do effortlessly!

Having read the authors previous offerings I’m more than impressed. The hard hitting and commanding plots and character development just keep coming and I can’t wait to see what’s next. I felt that the author really had fun with this one and found the winning mix!

5/5 stars

It was a pleasure to purchase and add this to my ever growing collection of kindle books… Don’t tell the wife though… When payday hits I’m buying the paperback for the collection 😊

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon (Or even your local bookstore 😊 )

Shield of the Rising Sun by Adam Lofthouse – Review

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Today I’m reviewing Shield of the Rising Sun by Adam Lofthouse, the third book in the Path of Nemesis Series.

Here is the blurb :-

War still rages at the edge of empire while centurion Albinus Silus fights at its beating heart.

Gone is the boy who joined the legions. What remains is a man torn apart by the savagery of battle, the heartache of lost love.

He does not know what became of his wife, and now he must balance being both a soldier and a father.

And yet, for all his pain, he shall have to endure more than he ever thought he could. His valour in the northern wars has not gone unnoticed, and now he is to be given a special mission.

Marcus Aurelius’ star falls with his health. One day the sun will rise on his successor and son, Commodus. But he must be ready, must know what it is to lead. Centurion Albinus has been chosen to educate him.

From Pannonia to Rome, to the far reaches of the east, Albinus must protect Commodus from enemies both inside the empire and out.

Can he keep the Caesar safe? Can he nurture him, teach him what it is to be a man? Can he be The Shield of the Rising Sun?

Review

What a beautifully heart pulverising read! You’d be forgiven for assuming this tale followed on from the last instalment, same style, same pace.. wrong…it flows on but the style is different..It’s a thousand times better if that’s even possible since I’ve loved every book in the series.

I had high expectations based on previous offerings from the author but what a real treat they gave me this time… it’s not just the story of Albinus Silus.. It’s the story of Licina, Calvus, Habitus and so many more as we learn the fate of Albinus through the eyes of his son Faustus as told by the ever protective Calvus.

An air of melancholy surrounds Faustus and while we learn of a few events quickly.. some take more time to play out.. the wounds run deep.

Calvus has sworn to take care of Albinus’s boy no matter what.. it’s time he learned about the man his father was. As the plot progresses you really do see similarities between father and son.. they both struggle with being associated with their father..they feel as if they are in their shadow fighting to just be accepted as who they are.. but do they really know who they want to be?

What worked super well in the story is the historical setting…Young Commodus! Yes please. It was the perfect amount of historical detail weaved into a spectacular tale. It’s the kind of historical novel I like.. I love the historical detail, but I don’t always need reams of description. Sometime I just want action ha ha.

When I read the 1st book in the series I commented on the emotions Albinus and his solider brothers openly showed.. It wasn’t something I was used too.. I’m used to my soldiers farting, pissing and dying but in a bit of a turn of events it’s exactly what I needed in this instalment and the author got it spot on..I’ve been emotionally invested in these guys all along and I didn’t know it until it came to the end..the end hurt..like a sword thrust to the chest.. it hits hard.. and even through you knew all along something like this could happen you never thought the day would come.

I’ve read all of Adam Lofthouse’s books so far and every time I feel the same thing.. this is the best yet from him.. He always has me hooked… I never quite know where the plot will go and those twists give me the good old hand over mouth “oh sh*t” type moment.

What I want from a book.. what I need.. is that urge after reading it to tell everyone about it. If you get a knock at the door it will just be me selling Shield of the Rising Sun!

Buy a copy! 🙂

5/5 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