Tag Archives: Authors

The Sun Shard by Rob Bayliss – Review

Title – The Sun Shard (Flint and Steel, Fire and Shadow. Book 1)
Author – Rob Bayliss
Genre – Historical Fantasy
Length – 443 Pages
Publication – June 2013
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Once, men and neanderthals shared the Summerlands between the Cheama Sea to the South and the Hailthorn Mountains in the North. But from across the seas the Empire came, borne on huge clockwork driven ships, their black powder alchemy proved stronger than flint axes, steel swords and naked courage. The old ways were seemingly lost, as the new Fire God blazed brightly; the tribes subdued, the Flint Folk exiled beyond the Hailthorns.
Seven generations later the Empire prepares for war with a ruthless and cruel enemy to the South. To fuel their war machine, the Empire demands levies of men and taxes from its northern provinces during the summer muster. One such levy is a young Gewichas warrior, Tuan Blackstone. Called to the banners, he faces a harsh future under the iron discipline of his Commander, but a brighter destiny is revealed to him that unites the cause of the peoples of the Summerlands in magic that predates the Empire’s alchemy.
But behind the light of his destiny long shadows grow, war and treachery have come to the Summerlands.But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?

Review

We follow Tuan in world of magic, swords, guns and large beasts that taps into our own history. It’s a harsh world where men fight wars and women are can be used solely to please a man.

The whole idea of a Sun Shard was intriguing, the flint folk chosen by the shards to protect and use the power, suppressed and beating, waiting for the one to come to lead them back into the Summerlands.

Rob paints a very interesting world indeed with lots of colourful characters to enjoy, my favourites being Bronic (his back story was brilliant, really enjoyed seeing the big man’s motivations), and Kaziviere (The way Rob made my feelings about this character change during the book was brilliant).

Bronic has to be my favourite though; the back story coupled with his red rage gave him something the others in the book just didn’t have in my eyes. I’ve high hopes he will get more page time in the next book. I would love to see the way he communicates with Tuan become a vital part in the plot somehow.

So you’re wondering why only a 4 star.. well if I’m honest in parts I just felt things happened too fast..Tuan gets passed the sun shard and after the visions that accompany it his meaning in life changes in an instant and it would have been nice to see him have come to terms with the responsibility left at his feet a bit more. I also felt as Tuan holds the sun shard he would be the most pivotal character but he doesn’t develop much throughout the book for me..

The major plus point for this book is however another book is planned..We will hopefully see Tuan develop further. Rob has given us such a lush plot with so much potential that I’ll definitely be adding the next book to my TBR pile.

In conclusion Rob Bayliss brings us a brilliant historical fantasy book with so much going on, and that has so much potential that you really should read it. I can see this becoming a very good series of books indeed and I look forward to seeing how the plot progresses.

To find out more information head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

10 Questions with… Steven A. McKay

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Today i bring to you an interview with the awesome Steven A. McKay author of the brilliant Wolf’s Head which is book one of his Robin Hood series.

The series is currently made up of 3 novels and 2 novellas. If you’ve not had a look at them please click the images below to be directed to my reviews 🙂

Now on with the questions!!

1) For anyone who follows my blog I’m sure they will be aware of your work but for anyone who’s not read any of your books yet what would you say to them to get them to give them a go?

It’s historical fiction without the “gadzooks” or “prithee” bollocks. I wanted to write stories set in medieval times but with people you and I could relate to. Normal people, rather than high born knights and ladies. Of course, I’d like to think the tales are exciting and keep you on the edge of your seat but I’ll leave your reviews to deal with that…

2) After reading your Robin Hood series you’ve left me needing more, you’re going to fill that void with a Christmas novella staring Friar Tuck. What made you decide to give the good Friar his own story?

I wanted to write a Christmas tale because I love the season so, really, who else could star in it? It’s a Christian holiday, whether you celebrate it in that way or not, so it was obvious the bold friar should take the lead.

3) I personally love a good novella; I feel it can give a great insight to an author’s writing style while also giving the author a great chance to elaborate on characters or events touched on in other books. I know not all readers agree. What are your views?

Some stories aren’t made to be told in 100,000 words. One of my favourite writers is HP Lovecraft – can you imagine ANY of his stories stretched out to novel length? They’d be awful! They work perfectly as novellas, and I’d like to think my two shorts work as well.

In terms of writing them, they’re great fun, it’s almost like a holiday! You don’t have to worry about side-plots or extra characters, you can just concentrate on one storyline and keep it simple and I really enjoy that because my full length novels tend to have lots of other stuff going on.

Amazon clearly agree – they have the Kindle Singles Programme which is described as “Compelling ideas expressed at their natural length” and Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil was accepted into that exclusive programme so that says it all for me.

4) Looking back at my reviews for your books so far I note a common theme. Namely you’re not afraid to kill off characters. Were you not worried your readers might not like the direction you took?

No, when I’m writing a book I don’t think about how readers will view it. Don’t get me wrong, once it’s done and it goes out I shit myself wondering if anyone will enjoy it! But in the writing process I do whatever I think will work. When it comes to killing off characters, I feel like if I DON’T kill characters it would be unrealistic and readers would see them as superheroes which is not what they are at all.

They are, as I said earlier, normal people, and normal people die.

5) One of the best things about your Robin Hood series is that you’ve put a new twist on the old tale. Why did you decide to move away from the well-known tale we all know and move away from Sherwood Forest?

The original, very first Robin Hood stories were set in Yorkshire. When I started to research the legend my idea was to make it as close to the first stories as possible so I was surprised – and pleased – to find that fact out. It gave me something new right from the off. Who else writes about Robin Hood the Yorkshireman?! That old story has been done to death and even now there’s new novels about him coming out every few months but as far as I know I’m the only one placing him where he was originally, in Barnsdale, in the time of Edward II.

6) Who have been your biggest influences within the writing community?

The two guys that inspired me to actually do it were SJA Turney and Gordon Doherty. I saw their books doing so well, even without the backing of a publisher, and it gave me the confidence to do it myself.

In terms of my actual writing, it’s hard to say. Bernard Cornwell is an obvious influence but I take bits from whatever I’m reading that strikes a chord in me, such as the aforementioned HP Lovecraft, or John Fowles whose The Magus I recently revisited. It all goes into the old brain box and comes back out in my writing in some way!

7) To give your readers an insight in to the writing process how long does it usually take to get from an idea to publication? Do you have many rewrites?

I couldn’t really give an answer to that for the simple reason I have an 8 year old daughter and a 2 year old son! When I wrote my debut novel, Wolf’s Head, and the follow up The Wolf and the Raven, I only had my wee girl and she would be in bed at 8pm every night so I could get to work. But now, my boy is up to all hours being wild hahaha! It’s meant I’ve not been able to work as much as I’d like on my new book and even the last one took longer than it should have.

In general a novel takes me about a year from start to finish. I don’t really rewrite anything much. I tend to ADD things rather than rewriting them.

I seem to be really lucky in that respect – a lot of writers can spend all day working on a chapter then bin the lot because it’s crap! If I write a chapter it ends up in the book pretty much as I wrote it in that first sitting.

8) How important is feedback from your readers?

It depends. I really appreciate constructive criticism that I can do something about – for example someone said in a review that my new Rise of the Wolf audiobook had a line that repeats. So I’ve been working with ACX and my narrator this weekend to get that sorted. That was invaluable feedback.

I do read EVERY review that appears on Amazon and I take in what’s being said. I’ve adjusted plots or even just character traits as a result so yes, I do take feedback on board. I’d be daft not to.

9) So far you’ve stuck with writing about Robin Hood and the other characters within the series. Do you ever think you’ll move away from them onto something new?

Oh aye! I’ll write one more Robin book to finish his story off, with perhaps another novella using those characters, but then I’ll move onto a completely new series. I’ve got loads of ideas for it – a main character, titles, plot lines, even the books I’ll need to research the period!

10) Linking in nicely with the previous question.. Future plans? I’d definitely like to know what you’ve got planned for us next

I’ll be sticking with Britain as the setting but going a few hundred years further back in time from my Robin Hood books…I plan on making the next series about a druid but he’s more like a cross between Little John and Friar Tuck than the old white-beard from the Asterix stories! This guy will be a hardman who’s a real product of his time, so possibly something of an anti-hero…

I can’t say more because I’ve not really planned anything out. I need to tie up the Robin Hood series

first so, next year, 2016, keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks for this Steven! Very much looking forward to reading more books from you in the near future 🙂

If you didn’t know Steven’s latest novella is available now! and it’s perfect for Christmas. Click the image below to head to Amazon where you can get your copy!

A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica’s Rebellion – Review

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Title – A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica’s Rebellion
Authors – E. Knight, Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, Russell Whitfield, SJA Turney , Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Ben Kane (Foreword)
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 483 Pages
Publication – 17^th Nov 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Briton . . . and these are their stories.

A calculating queen foresees the fires of rebellion in a king’s death.

A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war.

An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter.

A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people.

A conflicted young warrior finds himself torn between loyalties to tribe and to Rome.

An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions.

A pair of fiery princesses fight to salvage the pieces of their mother’s dream as the ravens circle.

A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Britons who cross paths during Boudica’s epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?

Review

I was very lucky to receive an ARC of this book for review purposes.

This book follows the tale of Boudica and her rebellion against Rome and is split into 7 parts which are told by a different authors.

Each story is full of action and crammed full of emotion which you want but the best thing for me was that every story was told from a different characters perspective.

This is the first book I’ve read with this style of storytelling and I loved it, it’s what made it so enjoyable to read.

The way in which the tales are told add to the growth of the characters as throughout the book you see them through someone else’s eyes and I found myself liking people I originally didn’t.

There are some complex characters and relationships in this book and I particularly loved Sorcha & Andecarus. Each of these stood out for me. I also loved anything involving Duro.

In conclusion I felt everything worked well with this book, it was full of action, fast paced and a joy to read. I also felt having so many authors involved and the writing style of the book brought something to my eyes which was unique. I can see my book pile is going to grow after being introduced to some authors I’d previously not heard of.

It’s also made me want to look into some more stories about Boudica, she seems a very strong and complex character who I’ve not read much about. The one thing that really makes a good book for me is when the author leaves a spark with you.. leaves you wanting to find out more.. to read more. This book has certainly done that.

I feel quite privileged to have had the chance to read/review this before its release. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys the genre.

To find out more information head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. Pre-order is available now!

THE HISTORICAL FICTION BUNDLE!!

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Today I’d like to bring to your attention an awesome bundle that’s on offer. One thing i like when looking for a book to read is value for money.

I’ve looked on storybundle.com a couple times and what they offer seems pretty good to me and at the moment there is a bundle i’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss. The best part is you decide how much you want to pay for the bundle.

The bundle has been curated by Charlotte E. English. You may recognise the name if you’ve looked at my TBR pile. I’m already a fan of her work so just had to share this bundle with you.

Best thing about a bundle like this is you get variety. You’ll be introduced to authors you may not of heard of before and with any luck you’ll enjoy their work.

The initial titles in the Historical Fiction Bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

 Sea Witch by Helen Hollick

 Miss Landon & Aubranael by Charlotte E. English

 House of Rejoicing by Libbie

 Sword of the Ronin by Travis

 Uneasy Spirits by M. Louisa Locke

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $12, you get all five of the regular titles, plus

these outstanding books:

 Pirate Code by Helen Hollick

 Mercenary by David Gaughran

 Storm in the Sky by Libbie Hawker

 Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury

Also, you can get Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke for free, just for being a StoryBundle newsletter subscriber! Make sure to grab Maids before reading Uneasy Spirits, also found in the Historical Fiction bundle!

Here’s what Charlotte had to say about each of the books –

Uneasy Spirits and Maids of Misfortune by M. Lousia Locke

M. Lousia Locke was one of the first self-published authors I ever read, and among the first to show me how terrific they can be. Her novels are beautifully researched, and Annie Fuller is one of my favourite lady detectives. It’s a pleasure to be able to include not one but two of these titles in this bundle.

Mercenary by David Gaughran

David Gaughran delights in writing stories set in locations rarely chosen by others, and his novels of Latin America are unusual and packed with adventure. I’m delighted to be able to include Mercenary, which is the only book in this bundle to feature a real-life hero with a true story.

Sea Witch and Pirate Code by Helen Hollick

Helen Hollick is a writer whose books have adorned my shelves for years. Known for her Arthurian trilogy Pendragon’s Banner, she has since proved that she has a real flair for adventure and romance on the high seas as well. Jesamiah Acorne’s adventures will delight those who loved Pirates of the Caribbean – and if you enjoy a little magic and witchery as well, all the better!

Sword of the Ronin by Travis Heermann

Travis Heermann’s books are intricate and beautifully researched. They offer an absorbing glimpse into medieval Japanese life, and his Ronin’s story is absorbing and inspiring. I particularly enjoy the delicacy with which he has blended the historical with folklore and fantasy; the result is a rich and exciting story.

Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury

I love time-travel tales. There’s something so enthralling — and intriguing — about the prospect of stepping back in time and experiencing a lost era. Books like Sarah Woodbury’s offer not only an exciting way back but an absorbing view of alternate history, and her vision of medieval Wales is captivating.

House of Rejoicing and Storm in the Sky by Libbie Hawker

Libbie Hawker tackles a period both popular and curiously neglected in historical fiction. The mystique, atmosphere and exoticism of ancient Egypt has fascinated many generations of scholars and dreamers alike. Libbie’s books offer an enthralling tale of royalty, religion and female power, and they feature the ever-fascinating Nefertiti to boot.

Miss Landon & Aubranael by Charlotte E. English

The Regency is among my favourite periods of history. In this book, I’ve blended it with some of my other favourite things – folklore, magic and the fae – to produce an alternate, and magical, vision of England in times past. I’ve also filled it with beautiful illustrations to bring my alternate historical world to life. I love my Regency fairy tale, and I hope you will too.

The bundle is available for a very limited time only so take a look by clicking the image below 🙂

Zeus of Ithome by T.E.Taylor – Review

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Title – Zeus of Ithome
Author – T. E. Taylor
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 316 Pages
Publication – Oct 2013
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Three Hundred Years of Slavery. Greece, 373 BC. For three centuries, the Messenian people have been brutally subjugated by their Spartan neighbours and forced to work the land as helot slaves. Diocles, a seventeen-year-old helot, has known no other life but servitude.

After an encounter with Spartan assassins, he is forced to flee, leaving behind his family and his love, Elpis. On Mount Ithome, the ancient sanctuary of the Messenians, he meets Aristomenes, an old rebel who still remembers the proud history of their people and clings to a prophecy that they will one day win back their freedom. A forlorn hope, perhaps.

But elsewhere in Greece, there are others too who believe it is time that the power of Sparta was broken.

Review

Tim Taylor has decided it’s time to shed some light on the Spartans and how ruthless they were to their neighbours and I was hooked from the Preface at the start of the book, now that’s how you grab the reader’s attention!

The book focuses mainly on Diocles a slave who has never known freedom. From the synopsis you can gather he gets in to trouble and ends up on the run. After a chance meeting Aristomenes we see Diocles grow from a boy to a man and he goes through many events before returning home to lead a rebellion.

It’s a very interesting tale with a mix of historical figures and fictional characters. Tim seems very knowledgeable and the historical note at the end of the book adds to the story and helps you draw the line between fact and fiction.

There is an amazing amount of depth to Diocles which grows throughout the book. Yes I felt he grew up too fast but then again in that day an age I guess you would need to grow up fast or you’d end up dead.

I won’t spoil the events for you but I will say that everything worked for me. I felt for Diocles.. I wanted him to fight..save his people and Tim made the story come alive.

All in all this was a brilliant story waiting to be told. Combine this with Tim’s writing style and you have one engrossing read. I don’t often want to read books again but this one will be added to the list.

Any fan of historical fiction as a genre will love this and if like me you’re interested in the history this will excite the taste buds.

To find out more information head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Author Spotlight – Keith Nixon

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If you’ve been following my blog you’ll have notice I’ve reviewed a few books by Keith Nixon this year.

I’ve loved every one of them! because of this Keith is next up for the spotlight treatment 🙂

If you’ve not read my reviews of his work please click the pictures below

Okay so you want to know why I’ve chosen Kieth. Easy.. not only have i enjoyed his work it was great to see an author who writes books covering different genres and does it so well.

Keith seems to have a knack for writing and can shift from historical fiction to crime fiction with ease!

While reading some of his historical fiction work i was amazed how vivid his tales were and how much depth he could give historical and fictional characters and it was so good to see none of this was lost while reading his crime fiction novel The Corpse Role

Keith’s depth of imagination to be able to tell these types of tales so perfectly is amazing and as a reader I’ve been hooked from start to finish with each of his books and that’s just few I’ve read. There are so many more left for me to enjoy!

Today i’d like you to look at his books, give them a go..hopefully you’ll like them just as much as i have..what have you got to loose.

To connect with Keith check out his website, Twitter, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil by Steven A. McKay – Review

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Title – Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil
Author – Steven A. McKay
Genre – Historical Fiction/Short Stories
Length – 70 Pages
Publication – 13th November 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Holly and ivy decorate the houses while voices are raised in song, but the Christmas cheer is tempered by terror this festive season, as demons haunt a small English village.

Strange thefts; cloven hoof-prints in the snow; a house burned to the ground.

Something evil stalks the icy streets of Brandesburton and former mercenary Tuck must find out what, before it’s too late.

As he sets out to solve the mystery the friar prays his faith will protect him. His faith AND his great quarterstaff, for he knows full well – the Devil makes no deals…

This brand new novella from the best-selling author of the Forest Lord series will delight and entertain historical fiction fans looking to escape the madness of Christmas shopping for a little while. Grab a mince pie, warm some mulled wine, and join Friar Tuck on this snowy adventure!

“…a heart warming tale, wrapping the deep meaning of Christmas in amongst

a clever little mystery…” Parmenion Book Reviews

Includes a foreword by Phil Rose, the legendary Friar Tuck from TV’s Robin of Sherwood.

Review

What a perfectly wonderful Christmas tale. I was very lucky to have the chance to read an advance copy and i can say for certain when this book is released you are in for a treat!

This tale focuses on one of my favourite characters Friar Tuck and some devilish events that have been occurring. As you can imaging the good Friar isn’t go to sit back and let things happen.

I never like to spoil a story by saying too much in my reviews but if you’ve read Steven’s previous books you won’t be disappointed. McKay manages give us a Christmas tale with his own style of writing infused within it so there’s a perfect mix of violence and kindness to warm the heart.

I highly recommend reading this during the festive period as it would fit in perfectly. My advice is grab a bottle of wine or a few beers and sit by the fire and read this from start to finish.

Personally it was good to see Steven writing about the Friar again and i hope we see a few more short tales coming from the author soon. So far both Novella’s McKay has wrote have been great and he’s managed to fit so much into so few pages that you are left wanting more but fulfilled at the same time.

Most certainly i will be reading this again on Christmas Eve once the kids are in bed, it’s a lovely story to get you in the mood for festive period

To pre-order head to Amazon

From Afar by Frank Scozzari – Review

The Corpse Role by Keith Nixon – Review

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Title – The Corpse Role
Author – Keith Nixon
Genre – Crime Fiction
Length – 182 Pages
Publication – April 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Not everything that gets buried stays buried… sometimes things have a nasty habit of resurfacing…

When the body of a security van driver implicated in an unsolved £1.2 million heist turns up in a shallow grave two years later it’s just the beginning for Detective Inspector Charlotte Granger.

She embarks on an investigation that takes her into dangerous territory – a world of dirty cops, dodgy private investigators, local villains and nosy journalists. Meanwhile events from Granger’s own past are threatening to come back and haunt her…

Review

Ok I’ve read a couple of Keith’s books before, both works of historical fiction so I wondered how well his writing would adapt to the crime fiction genre. As it turns out Keith has an overall talent for writing regardless of the genre.

The Corpse Role is a crime mystery/thriller focused around DI Charlotte Granger who is investigating a murder that has links to the police. As more bodies turn up the pressure is on Granger to solve this mystery and fast!

One of the best bits about this book is how Keith has written it, you go seamlessly from the present to the past and vice versa. It makes an interesting read and gives you a nice backstory that you don’t fully understand until you finish the story.

As I got near the end of the book I felt I had everything worked out and I understood the motives of all the characters in the tale.. then BAM! Keith saves the best till last!

Credit where credits due..i did not see the outcome of the story at all and it was a perfect ending to a super story.

If you’re a fan of the genre this is a must read!

Please keep an eye on my blog as I plan to do an author spotlight post on Keith in the near future. His works have not only entertained me but engaged my mind to a point where I felt fully absorbed in the tale.. sometimes I look forward to reaching to end of a story.. This can’t be said of Keith’s tales..

I know Keith has a number of other novels under his belt and I plan to add a few more to my pile in the coming months

To find out more about The Corpse Role head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

1066: What Fates Impose by G.K. Holloway – Review

David's Book Blurg

Book reviews from a guy up north (UK)

Tag Archives: Authors

The Sun Shard by Rob Bayliss – Review

10 Questions with… Steven A. McKay

A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica’s Rebellion – Review

THE HISTORICAL FICTION BUNDLE!!

Zeus of Ithome by T.E.Taylor – Review

Author Spotlight – Keith Nixon

Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil by Steven A. McKay – Review

From Afar by Frank Scozzari – Review

The Corpse Role by Keith Nixon – Review

1066: What Fates Impose by G.K. Holloway – Review