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 😊