Tag Archives: Books

Disorder of War by N.J. Shamey – Review

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Title – Disorder of War
Author – N_J_Shamey
Genre – Action & Adventure – Fiction
Length – 280 Pages
Publication – March 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Dagan Sharaf must lead an inexperienced new company in the Legions of Katora as they fight for survival and face the rigors of combat. An old enemy of the Kingdom has found pretense for war and launched an invasion to seize control of the lucrative trade cities. Dagan’s unit is deployed to stem the enemy tide and regain lost territories. The company struggles to master the art of war and learn to depend on each other as battle-brothers. At the same time, Dagan must balance his own selfish motives with the needs of his men.

Will he teach them the soldier’s trade before it is too late?

Review

First off.. after reading the synopsis and looking at the cover I was immediately interested to read this book. I won’t lie, I buy books not only based on reviews but the cover needs to grab me and boy did this one get my attention.

I had high hopes for this book and the author didn’t disappoint. This is a very good military themed story with a hint of religion and the super natural.. a great combination in my book!

The author gives the reader a great insight to the world he’s created and the armies within without you getting bogged down in too much detail which keeps you engaged and helps the book flow. Even for me I read this book fast. Two days! That is all credit to the author and his style of writing.

The main focus of this book is on Dagan and Company E and the story does a good job or showing the relationships within the group grow. The author has definitely wrote what has the potential to be an awesome series and I hope he builds on this book and gives a bit more insight to Dagan’s past in the next book

Dagan is a brilliant character but this book has a few more gems in Neway and Gill. Loved them both. Lets hope they have a big part in the next book 🙂

Ok, so you want to know why I’ve given it a four star rating? Well two things. First being this book had a very interesting religious undertone which the author gives more light to in the Lore section at the end of the book. Personally I would have liked to read this before the main story to help me understand the setup a bit better.

Secondly the book ended rather abruptly, a great setup for book 2 admittedly but it I just didn’t feel like a natural end to the book.

Neither of these things ruined any of my enjoyment of the book. It’s a cracking first instalment and I’m more than eager to read more

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

The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland’s Black Douglas by Glen Craney – Review

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Title – The Spider and the Stone: A Novel of Scotland’s Black Douglas
Author – Glen Craney
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 433 Pages
Publication – Oct 2013
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

As the 14th century dawns, the brutal Edward Longshanks of England schemes to steal
Scotland. But inspired by a headstrong lass, a frail, dark-skinned boy named James
Douglas defies three Plantagenet kings and champions the cause of his wavering friend, Robert Bruce, to lead the armies to the bloody field of Bannockburn. A thrilling epic of star-crossed love and heroic sacrifice set during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Review

First off I must say Robert Bruce has to be one of my favourite historical figures. I’ve not read much on the subject of the Scottish Wars of Independence but the little I know has always fascinated me.

This book focuses on James Douglas otherwise known as Black Douglas. I won’t lie.. I knew nothing of the man. Everything I’ve read always focuses on either Robert Bruce or William
Wallace (who also makes an appearance in this book) so it was great to read a story focused on someone else

Glen has written this book starting from James and his boyhood years and admits filling in some of the gaps in Douglas’s life where we just don’t have any information to go on. I know some people don’t like when authors speculate but I believe this is where authors shine.. and Glen is no exception

One of the best parts throughout the books was the relationship between Isabelle MacDuff and
James, the author explains why he decided to write that a relationship between the two could have existed and it made for an excellent and plausible read, it gave real depth to the story

Throughout the book we see the stress James is put under, which threatens his relationship with both Isabelle and Robert. I can’t imagine what it would have been like but Glen manages to get across how hard it must have been at time for the people of Scotland.

I really liked how Glen managed to bring everything to life.. the period, the setting, the people. It brought home that although some of this book maybe fiction that the overall subject of Scotland versus England actually happened and has sowed the seed in me to read more on the subject.

I’d highly recommend this book, it has everything you could want, war, love, death, betrayal, patriotism and some awesome dogs (Cull & Chullan, I loved those mutts)

My only advice to the reader is to make sure you read the authors notes at the end of the book. I always think it’s important to distinguish fact from fiction. Personally I think what Glen added to this book just gave something extra to the tale that made it the gripping read it was and hopefully you’ll agree

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

Odin’s Child: Book One of the Odd Tangle-Hair Saga By Bruce MacBain – Review

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Title – Odin’s Child: Book One of the Odd Tangle-Hair Saga (Odd Tangle-Hair Saga #1)
Author – Bruce MacBain
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 350 Pages
Publication – May 2015
My Rating – 4/5

Synopsis

An old grudge erupts into violence as Odd Tangle-Hair refuses to back down from the men he believes shamed his father and betrayed their heritage by turning away from the old gods in favor of the White Christ. But when the violence escalates and Odd’s family bears the brunt of it, he must leave his beloved Iceland behind and find his own way in the world. The golden age of Viking conquest is fading when he takes to the seas with his rag-tag crew, but they will voyage to primitive Lapland, war-torn Norway, the magic-drenched forests of Finland, and the borders of Russia, where Odd enlists in the retinue of a renegade prince. Odin’s Child is the first of three books in which Odd recounts his life.

Review

Okay so this book focuses on the life of Odd in 11th century Iceland. Odd’s father along with the rest of the family have falling out of favour with their neighbours during what I can imaging would be a very difficult time with people moving from one religion to another.

You can gather enough from the synopsis of the book to know that Odd gets in a bit of trouble and has to leave his home behind.

I won’t lie I felt a little lost in the first couple chapters. Maybe because I’m not used to reading a work of historical fiction in the first person.. Who knows? After that point the book did pick up pace considerably and I really started to enjoy it.

Odd decides to become a Viking and sale the high sea, make his fortune and return home to set things right.

As you can imagine things don’t always go to plan and we see Odd gather a crew and jump from one big event to another. So much is crammed in to the adventure it makes for a fascinating read although at times I just wanted Odd to calm down and stay put so I could take in everything that had just happened to him. We see him in battles and at one point imprisoned which for me was the best bit of the book as well as the most surreal.

The characters in this book made things really interesting. Glum was a particular favourite of mine.
As you can imagine with a story such as this people will die and I felt there was a great development of some of the friendships/relationships during these events.

It’s a great start to the series, Bruce has wrote a very engaging tale and I’d very much like to see how Odd’s adventure pans out.

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

Strategos: Island in the Storm (Strategos #3) by Gordon Doherty – Review

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Title – Strategos: Island in the Storm (Strategos #3)
Author – Gordon Doherty
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –  402 Pages
Publication – July 2014
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The storm is upon us, Haga. The answers you seek dance within its wrath . . .

1071 AD. Emperor Romanus Diogenes has rekindled the guttering flame of Byzantium. Yet in the eastern borderlands, two vital strongholds hang in the balance. Manzikert and Chliat must be won to secure the empire’s fragile frontiers and vanquish the would-be usurpers who covet the imperial throne. But Sultan Alp Arslan and his vast Seljuk armies look to those twin fortress-towns also, resolute on seizing them first.

Apion rides by the emperor’s side as they march east, marshalling Byzantium’s armies for the conflict that is to come. He knows only too well that the threat posed by the Sultan’s hordes is well-matched by malevolent forces within the Byzantine ranks. Thus, the road to war is a savage one, but one he cannot refuse. For at its end, Fate beckons, taunting him with a choice of two futures.

On the plains of Manzikert, one great power will rise and another will fall. On the plains of Manzikert, Apion will face the storm.

Review

So here we are.. Apion’s final journey..

Ok let’s stop right here, have you read the first two books in the series? If not check out my reviews of BOOK 1 and BOOK 2.

Now on the book 3!

After the battle that took place in book 2 we are left wondering what will become of the Haga after Nasir’s death.

Emperor Romanus sets out to secure his throne by securing his boarders from the Seljuks. After the build up to this point you know it’s going to be bloody!

Apion has a lot to deal with in this book, not only is he fighting a war while having some insight from the old crone who always seems to be with him but he’s also dealing with the fact Maria, the only good thing in his life left, is out there somewhere.

Nasir’s son plays a big part in this book too as he struggles to come to terms with the death of Nasir. I’ll admit Taylan wasn’t my favourite addition to this book, I struggled at times to like him.. mainly because I thought Nasir was brilliant.. in the end Taylan turned out to be a better addition to the series than I thought he would be.

Gordon manages to bring everything together in this book and we finally get to see an end in sight for the whole Apion/Maria story. Personally I loved how Gordon finished the story. I felt it was a fitting end.. although he had me saying “no no no no” a lot while a was reading.

So character development.. there’s loads. Gordon managed to give an ending to a lot of the characters though the chapters of this book and it’s not all happy endings.  You see a lot of friendships grow and even though a character like Psellos isn’t likable you get a wonderful depth to the person in this one. Not to give anything away but the whole situation with Psellos and the old crone which plays out is brilliant.

We see additions such as Kaspax which I loved along with Vilyam. Vilyam was the star of the book for me.. 🙂

There’s a lot of bloodshed in this book but Gordon again manages to help the reader visualise the battlefield with his impressive knowledge. It gives a great feel to the book as you could imagine the clashes that took place and how many men must have died.

Gordon also uses his knowledge to give even more insight when you read the historical note. He clearly knows his stuff and it pays off well. He makes the subject interesting which isn’t always easy to do.

This series has to be the best I’ve ever read. Credit where credits due, Gordon managed to get me emotionally connected with his characters. For me that is a sign of a truly great author.

I can’t imagine a better end for the series but it’s sad that I won’t be able to read about Apion again. When I get the time I’ll definitely have to read this series again.

I hope Gordon has more books planned..

Head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to find out more

10 Questions with… Matthew Harffy

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Today i bring to you a new feature on my blog called “10 Questions with”. It is my hope over the next few months i can bring you some interesting Q&A’s with some of the authors whose work I’ve recently read/reviewed.

I’m very pleased to say the first of which is a Q&A with Matthew Harffy! Author of The Serpent Sword. If you’ve not had a look at my review yet take a look here

matthewhead                                      TheSerpentSwordCover

Ok.. lets get on with the questions.. 🙂

Q1 – For anyone who’s read my review of The Serpent Sword I’m sure they will be aware how awesome your book is but for those who’ve not read it yet what would you say to convince them to read your book next?

Rather than me tell you why my book is awesome (although this is a subject I enjoy!), how about I let Angus Donald, bestselling author of the Outlaw series explain why it is worth reading. He said the following:

“A gripping and credible tale of Dark Ages Britain, well researched, with rounded, convincing characters and a strong plot-line … the battle scenes [are] gut-clenching encounters in which you could almost smell the blood and feel the sweat trickling down your spine. A very good read! Recommended for all fans of Bernard Cornwell. Historical fiction doesn’t get much better than this.”

Q2 – After reading the first book you’ve left me wanting more. When can we expect the next book to be out and can you give us any juicy info on it?

The sequel is THE CROSS AND THE CURSE.

Here is some blurb about it:

Beobrand stands with the King of Northumbria in battles of great portent and continues his rise to prominence. He wants nothing more than to settle down, but he soon finds himself beset with enemies old and new. He even fears that the power of a curse has him in its grip.

Fated to become a famed warlord, Beobrand confronts his foes with cold iron and bitter fury. On his quest for revenge and redemption, Beobrand grudgingly accepts the mantle of lord, leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles.

THE CROSS AND THE CURSE is already written and should be available in the next few months. Probably early 2016.

Q3 – To give your readers some insight into your life as a writer how long did it take you to write the book? Including the editing process and any re-writes you made

I actually started writing it back in 2001! I saw a documentary about the Castle of Bamburgh in Northumberland and how it had been the seat of the kings of a long-forgotten kingdom called Bernicia. I had a vision of men pulling their ships up onto the beach below the crag of Bamburgh Castle and I just sat down and started writing.

I had been working on the book on and off for a couple of years when one day, Bernard Cornwell released his first Uhtred novel. It was set a couple of hundred years later, but began in Bamburgh and featured a similar young man who would become a great warlord.

I was despondent. I gave up and stuck my book in a drawer for about ten years! It then became clear to me that Amazon and e-books made it possible to self-publish and make money through writing in a way that had never before been possible.

So I set myself weekly writing targets and a goal for completing the book and finished the first draft in about eight months.

Rework and clean-up of the manuscript took another couple of months and then I gave it to several friends and family for their feedback. The test readers caught lots of errors and gave me some great ideas for how to make the book better.

I did some more work on the book and then sent it to my dad to edit. He has a great eye for detail and grammar and caught almost everything else that had slipped through.

The next year went by with THE SERPENT SWORD getting pitched to publishers by my agent, while I worked on book 2.

In the end though, I didn’t sign a deal with any publishing house and so I decided to self-publish.

Formatting and cover design took a month or so.

Q4 – What made you decide to become a historical fiction writer in the first place?

I’m not really sure. I have always loved historical fiction, and for some reason when I started writing this story, I couldn’t let it go. I had started many stories in the past but never got beyond five or ten pages. Starting is actually the easiest thing. Finishing a complete novel is where the difficulty lies.

Anyway, it sounds like a cliché, but in some ways the story of Beobrand and The Serpent Sword found me!

Q5 – What are your views on historical accuracy when writing fiction? I note from other books I’ve read in the same genre some reviewers can be quite negative to any inaccuracies.

As you say, some readers and writers, believe that the historical accuracy is the most important thing in historical fiction. I look at it a slightly different way. I will never knowingly include anything historically inaccurate without informing the reader in a historical note, but I believe that the story is more important than the history. If the setting and events have the feeling of authenticity, and the story entertains the reader, then I think my job is done.

Several readers have commented about how much they feel they have learnt of the history of Northumbria from reading The Serpent Sword, but it was never my intention to be didactic. If a story is compelling and exciting, and you come away learning some history, that’s a bonus!

Q6 – Would you contemplate writing a book in any other genre?

I grew up reading fantasy and science fiction, so I wouldn’t rule out writing something in those genres. Particularly fantasy. George R.R. Martin said in an interview with Bernard Cornwell: “It has long been my contention that the historical novel and the epic fantasy are sisters under the skin, that the two genres have much in common.” I agree with him and can easily see myself writing an epic fantasy, but for some reason, having a story grounded in reality feels more natural to me now than perhaps it would have if I’d taken up writing seriously when I was younger.

I’m also a huge fan of westerns and have seriously considered writing in that genre. I guess it is still historical fiction, just in a different period.

Q7 – Who have been your biggest influences within the writing community?

In terms of which writers have been the biggest influence over a long period, I would have to say Bernard Cornwell. His Warlord Chronicles are what got me to consider writing The Serpent Sword and its sequels.

If we are talking about which writers have been the greatest influence in the journey to publication over the last couple of years, I’d have to say Steven A. McKay and Justin Hill. Steven is self-published and has been extremely successful with his Forest Lord series. He is a couple of years ahead of me in the process of being a published author, and I have shamelessly tried to emulate the way he handles the marketing side of the business. He has been nothing less than helpful and supportive since we first “spoke” online a couple of years ago.

I read Justin Hill’s book, Shieldwall, while writing the first draft of The Serpent Sword and fell in love with the prose and the authentic feel of the writing. I was overjoyed to have Justin reply to emails and requests for information, and later to read my manuscript and offer me an endorsement for the cover.

I was lucky enough to get endorsements from many other writers too, including hugely successful authors such as Angus Donald and Manda Scott, and I cannot count the number of times different writers have helped by retweeting or sharing stuff about my work, or writing nice reviews on Amazon or their blogs.

The community of historical fiction writers is quite small, but almost without exception, they have been willing to offer support to a new writer with very little idea of how the business works.

Q8 – What book(s) are you looking forward to reading in the coming months?

My TBR (To Be Read) pile is huge! I am quite a slow reader and also have to find time to write, research, do my day job, spend time with the family, sing in a band, market the book and do interviews like this. I always have a book on the go, but it takes a long time to complete each one. If I like them, I write a review and post it on my blog, Amazon and Goodreads.

At the moment I am enjoying Andrew Latham’s debut, The Holy Lance. Next up is an advanced copy of The Betrothed Sister by Carol McGrath (though if I’m not careful, I won’t get around to reading it before the book is released!). I then need to get around to reading Steven McKay’s Rise of the Wolf.

A bit further in the future, I am looking forward to reading Justin Hill’s “Viking Fire”, the sequel to Shieldwall.

Q9 – You also review books? Any tips for me and any other would be reviewers out there?

I think if a book does not light your fire, move on. Life’s too short to waste precious time on books you don’t like. So I tend to only leave broadly positive reviews (if I haven’t finished a book, I won’t review it, and I tend not to finish books I don’t like).

I think reviews should be truthful and pick out a few issues (if you see them when reading the book) but without doing a hatchet job on the writer. No book is perfect, and a writer can learn from constructive criticism, but reviews are ultimately to let people know whether you enjoyed it, and why.

Q10 – Future plans? I’m sure we’d all like to know what you’ve got planned.

For now, I am sticking with Beobrand and the Bernicia Chronicles. I am 75,000 words into the first draft of book 3 in the series, BY BLOOD AND BLADE. After that, who knows? There are certainly more stories in Beobrand’s future for a couple more books at least.

Thanks for hosting the question and answer session on your blog, David. It’s been great fun and of course, thank you for the great review of THE SERPENT SWORD.

To connect with Matthew you can use the following links

 

The Serpent Sword is available now for a limited time for only £0.99/$0.99. Click the picture below to head to Amazon to buy the book!SeptemberSaleSerpentVersion2

Author Spotlight – Michael R. Hicks

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A little later than planned.. Here’s my next Author Spotlight.

Today I would like to bring to your attention to the works of Michael R. Hicks.

When I just started to get into reading regularly a few years ago I was looking to find a series of books and through a recommendation via twitter I looked at the In Her Name series by Michael R. Hicks.

The series is a science fiction novel with a bit of fantasy edge to it.

It focuses on humans not being alone in the universe and of an alien species of warriors. There’s fighting, swords, guns, love, death.. what more could you want?

For fear of giving too much away of the story that’s as far as I’m going to go.. but If science fiction is your thing you really should check out these books.

Here is the blurb for book 1 to get your taste buds going –

The Terran survey ship Aurora makes a startling discovery in an uncharted star system: two planets inhabited by an advanced, and decidedly unfriendly, non-human civilization. Disabled by gigantic alien warships before it can escape, the Aurora is boarded by nightmarish blue-skinned warriors with claws and fangs who slaughter the crew in ritual combat using primitive weapons. The sole survivor, Midshipman Ichiro Sato, is returned to Earth as a messenger bearing a device that warns of an impending attack.

 For that is the way of the Kreelan Empire, which has waged war against countless civilizations across the stars in its quest for a savior, one not of their own blood, foretold in an ages-old prophecy. With only a few generations left before their ancient species faces extinction, the Kreelans will wage their last war against humanity, hoping against hope for redemption of sins long past.

Currently Amazon.co.uk has 229 five star and 120 four star reviews for this book…I don’t know about you but numbers like that make me take notice…

What? You want another reason to get this book? OK.. how about the fact it’s FREE! Yep. The first book is completely free

Michael’s story telling is just wonderful and he created some brilliant characters and events over this series. I still have 3 books left to read of the 9 and I’m thoroughly looking forward to reading them.

One of the things I like the most is although you can read all 9 books the series is actually split into 3 distinct works. So if you’re not looking for a major commitment to nine books just get the first 3.. you won’t be disappointed .

In all honestly Michael has to be one of my favourite authors. So much so that after reading one book I purchased the next 5 straight away. What have you got to loose.. the first book is free. Give it a read and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your views

Today I urge you to take a look at Michael’s website here – authormichaelhicks.com. From here he links you directly to where you can purchase the books and read the reviews.

Want to connect with Michael? You can do so via his website Twitter, Facebook,Goodreads or his Amazon author page.

Death by Dangerous by Olly Jarvis – Review

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Title – Death By Dangerous
Author – Olly Jarvis
Genre – Thriller/Mystery
Length – 368 Pages (Paperback)
Publication – June 2015
My Rating –  5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Death by Dangerous is a compelling legal thriller set in Manchester and Bradford.

John Anderson is one of the North West’s most dedicated and successful prosecution barristers. His career is going from strength to strength and he is on the verge of becoming Queen’s Counsel. But the life he once knew suddenly comes crashing down following a fatal road traffic accident…

“They’re saying it was your fault. Someone died.”

Recovering from his injuries, he has no memory of the collision. Was he responsible for the death of a child? Who was his female passenger? Facing charges of causing death by dangerous driving, the professional and personal life he once knew now lies in tatters. Depressed and taking refuge in alcohol, Anderson refuses, in the face of so many unanswered questions, to accept his guilt. He becomes convinced that the gangster he was prosecuting at the time of the crash is in some way involved.

The mystery deepens as his search for the truth draws him into Manchester’s sordid criminal underworld. Shunned by his former colleagues, Anderson finds help from an unlikely source, enabling him to confront his prejudices and re-evaluate his past life. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery and, ultimately, the path for his own redemption.

Anderson knows that defeat means deliverance to a prison full of violent criminals he has prosecuted over the years. He now has to find the strength to fight the most important trial of his life.

Review

From the synopsis I was already intrigued to read this book and I’m glad I did. It turned out to be a book I was unable to put down.

The story focuses on John Anderson, a barrister who lands himself in trouble after apparently falling asleep at the wheel of his car.. but he doesn’t remember what happened

From here we see his life fall apart, friendships broken, family bonds tested and within the space of a few chapters John’s life is gone from high flying barrister to a nobody facing prison time.

I really can’t give too much away as it would spoil the plot but Olly has created a wonderful tale here and has used his life experiences to give this book lot of detail which adds to the authenticity of the story. It felt real. I felt worried myself what would happen to John and how I would have felt in the same situation where you just can’t control the direction your life takes.

It was really good to see John’s character grow throughout the story. At first he came across maybe a bit arrogant but as the book progresses you find out why he is that way and we also see him change because of what happens. John hits rock bottom but manages to climb his way back up

There were also some wonderful characters in this book aside from John and I enjoyed how each person seemed to have their own motives which came to light as the book progressed

The storyline played out perfectly for me and kept me guessing as to what would happen next and I was hooked right until the end.

This is definitely a book I’d recommend! And I’m glad to hear Olly is working on his next book Cutthroat Defence as we speak.

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

The Eagle’s Blood (Caradoc #2) by Keith Nixon – Review

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Title – The Eagle’s Blood (Caradoc #2)
Author – Keith Nixon
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 292 Pages
Publication – March 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The British army is shattered, defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by subterfuge and betrayal. Caradoc flees the battlefield, the crown heavy on his head and his heart set on retribution. He has to make hard decisions and tough compromises, but with the sovereignty of Britain at stake, personal pride sometimes has to take second place.

Emperor Claudius is determined to make as much political mileage as possible out of the Roman victory in an attempt to consolidate his own position. That doesn’t sit well with the Roman military, who have their own objectives and who will do whatever it takes to achieve them.

As the Romans consolidate their gains and begin to push west, Caradoc finds he has few friends left. He must turn to the Durotriges, a wild, hill fort dwelling tribe. But the Durotriges are riven by strife and petty squabbles.

Aulus Plautius, commander of the Roman army, brings his siege weapons to bear, can Caradoc resist the onslaught?

Review

Before I start have you read my review of The Eagle’s Shadow?? If not where have you been? Check it out here

Ok. So here we are trust back into the war between the British and Roman armies. During the first book we learn of a battle which turned out to be a major win for the Romans due to the divided loyalties of the British tribes at the time. This book continues on after book one and we are back we one of my favourite characters Fionn and the action is pretty much non-stop in this fast moving tale.

In the first book I really liked Caradoc but in this book you see a different side to the man. He becomes blinded by revenge and we see Fionn and his friends struggle to see eye to eye with his decisions. Fionn has his own demons in this book too.. I’m not saying too much as it would spoil it for you.

While Caradoc has his mind set firmly on revenge Fionn wants to hit back at the Romans so this book mainly focuses on the period where they are trying to gather support from the other tribes. Needless to say things do not go Fionn’s way.

Keith has written an excellent follow up book which he clearly researched well. I think it’s always hard to get the flow right between two books but the transition is seamless and it felt as if I’d never but the first book down. There were some great additions to the characters in this one which made the book feel fresh but you also had a lot of detail given to some of the characters from the first book which gave them more depth. I particularly enjoyed reading anything involving Anatolius.

One of the things I loved the most was the different point of views. You see the story play out from both the British and Roman stand point and it made for compelling reading

There’s only one downside to this book.. it had to end..I just wanted to turn the page and keep reading. It’s a true talent to keep a reader wanting more when it comes to a series of books but Keith managed to do this within the first few chapters and has hooked me in with his story telling so much already that I already have another non historical fiction piece of his in my review pile and I intend to read more of his work over the next few months

If you are a fan of the genre this series is a must!

Here’s hoping Keith writes Caradoc #3 soon!

To read more reviews or to purchase the book (which i know you’ll want to do) head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Elephant In The Room by Diana J. Febry – Review

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Title – Elephant In The Room
Author – Diana J. Febry
Genre – Mystery
Length –  380 pages (Kindle)
Publication – January 2013
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Penny Jackson is slowly re-building her life after the abrupt end of her marriage, when she falls in love with the charismatic hotelier, Robert Carver. When dark unspoken family secrets start to surface, Penny has to re-evaluate everything and rely on her own wits to stay alive.

 Review

So this book follows the main character of Penny who after the demise of her previous marriage has found love again.

The man she has falling for is Robert, who already has children of his own including a step daughter who Robert doesn’t have contact with.

Penny offers to track down this step daughter in the hope she can convince her to reconcile with Robert.

As you can guess there is more to this situation than Penny is aware of and an interesting tale unfolds.  Telling you anything would take away the enjoyment of reading the book but in my opinion the story flows well and you are constantly left wondering what is going on and why the step daughter doesn’t want to see Robert or his family again…who doesn’t like a bit of suspense!

I really enjoyed the book and the ending didn’t disappoint for me. This is the second book I’ve read of Diana’s and it’s of the same quality and a very engaging read. To explain this is must point out Penny is by far the most annoying character I’ve ever read about. She makes you want to scream… but as you near the end of the book you start to see why. She really does have her heart in the right place but she’s blinded to the truth which I guess we all are when we fall in love.

This really was a good book to read, my 4 star rating is simply because at times Penny was too annoying verging on stalker and I felt at this point the step daughter would have called the police rather than had a conversation with the woman.. or maybe had a bit of a cat fight.

If you like a bit of mystery or suspense I think you’ll enjoy this book.

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

The Serpent Sword (Bernicia Chronicles Book 1) by Matthew Harffy – Review

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Title –  The Serpent Sword (Bernicia Chronicles Book 1)
Author – Matthew Harffy
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length –  347 Pages (Kindle)
Publication – 7th April 2015
My Rating –  5/5 Stars

Synopsis

BRITAIN 633 A.D.

Certain that his brother’s death is murder, young farmhand Beobrand embarks on a quest for revenge in war-torn Northumbria. When he witnesses barbaric acts at the hands of warriors he considers his friends, Beobrand questions his chosen path and vows to bring the men to justice.

Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, Beobrand faces challenges that change him irrevocably. Just as a great sword is forged by beating together rods of iron, so his adversities transform him from a farm boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall.

As he closes in on his kin’s slayer and the bodies begin to pile up, can Beobrand mete out the vengeance he craves without sacrificing his own honour … or even his soul?

The Serpent Sword is the first novel of the Bernicia Chronicles.

Review

This is the debut novel from Matthew Harffy  and it’s a truly epic one at that. A word to describe this tale would be BRUTAL!

You’re immediately hooked from the prologue where we learn about the death of Octa. We soon learn the main character of the book Beobrand is Octa’s brother.

Having no family left in the world Beobrand swears allegiance to King Edwin to fight in his sheildwall against his enemies. He also learns there might have been more to his brother’s death that he first thought and this sets our hero out on a mission of vengeance.

I won’t give away too much detail but this book is brutal, we read about rape and murder along with a shed load of violence.

Matthew gives great depth to his main character, who we see struggle with his own emotions as he tries to discover what type of person he is. Is he an honourable man?? Read the book.. and find out 🙂

This is honestly the first book I’ve read where I’ve not only not wanted to put it down but at the same time felt like throwing my kindle in the freezer as I couldn’t believe what happened and I didn’t want to read what I thought/knew was going to happen next.

The other day I must have looked like a crazy person  on the bus when I was reading this book and suddenly shouted “No No No”.

Matthew managed to write some brilliant characters. You felt for them. When certain events played out I just couldn’t help hate the writer for what he’s done.. In a good way though ha.

Apart from Beobrand there are a host of characters that stood out to me, namely Dreng, Hengist, Leofwine and mostly Scand.

Who buys paperbacks these days with a kindle being able to store so many titles? I know i don’t especially since space is limited having twin girls around the house but I will definitely be purchasing this for the collection. It’s without a doubt one of the best debut novels I’ve read.

Usually I never read books more than once either but I think this will be the first.. I enjoyed it that much I already want to read it again.

I couldn’t even tell you if there are any errors in this book, I was too engrossed in the story..and that’s how a book should be.

To read more about this book head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com