Oscar's Tale - Chris Bishop

'For is it not the wish of every man that his son will achieve more in life than he did?'

OSCAR'S TALE is the story of a Saxon boy who sets out to find and rescue his father who has been taken by Viking slavers. 

Set in 877 as the people of Wessex are forced to fight not just for their very lives, but for their freedom, their religion and for their right to live as Saxons, Oscar relates all that which befalls him on his all but impossible quest. This is set against the backdrop of King Alfred's desperate attempt to regain his kingdom which culminates in a victory at the Battle of Edington which is very much against the odds. 

But this is not just a story about bloody battles and fearsome warriors, it's about a boy struggling to live up to his father's reputation as a warrior and trying to find his place in a turbulent and uncertain world. For that, Oscar is forced to confront many dangers, earn the respect of others far above his station and even find love - albeit the cost to him is far higher than most men would have been willing to pay. 

What did I think?

I am a huge fan of Chris Bishop's Shadow of the Raven series so I was delighted to read an advance copy of his new standalone novel, Oscar's Tale.  This wonderful novel is a virtual walk in the footsteps of the Anglo Saxons and I absolutely loved it.

It's a difficult time in 9th century Wessex with the constant threat of Viking invasion and families trying to survive by living off the land.  Teenager Oscar witnesses a Viking invasion on his home and as if that wasn't bad enough, he sees his father captured and taken prisoner.  Oscar struggles with his guilt of not rushing to defend his father but with a wise head on such young shoulders instead makes his way to the Ealdorman's Vill to plead for help.

Oscar is such a plucky young lad and I really enjoyed reading about his adventures that takes him on a journey that brings him to the attention of King Alfred himself.  I love Oscar's whole commitment to defend his family and his king and he has to do a lot of both as the Battle of Edington draws near.

After reading Oscar's Tale it's almost like other books are written in monochrome as Chris Bishop writes historical fiction in glorious technicolor, magically bringing history to life in front of my eyes.  Vivid, immersive and compelling; it feels like stepping back in time when you read Oscar's Tale and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Many thanks to Chris Bishop for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The King's Spy (The Rebellion Series Book 1) - Mark Turnbull

Northamptonshire.

14th June 1645.

The Battle of Naseby is set to decide the outcome of the civil war in England.

The armies of King Charles I face those of Parliament and its untested New Model Army. Yet amidst the carnage, an intensely personal battle takes place between two men.

Captain Maxwell Walker is a royalist cavalry officer, widower and father. Loyal and brave, but haunted by his grief, Maxwell thirsts for revenge. His life has never been the same since his encounter with the parliamentarian Gervase Harper, a man whose ruthless streak sees him prosecute the war with vigour. Harper cuts down anyone who gets in his way. Maxwell’s wife was no exception.

The outcome of Naseby causes Maxwell to be tasked with a royal rescue mission. The King’s most personal possession must be retrieved. His cypher would allow Parliament to decode captured royal correspondence and that would deal a major blow in the propaganda war.

The soldier must play the spy.

His actions, however, earn him the enmity of both sides. The hunter becomes the hunted.

Facing a murder charge, as well as a great siege, Maxwell makes a discovery that might just save himself and the King’s remaining cavalry.

However, all of this rests upon his next encounter with Gervase Harper.

 

What did I think?

I love historical fiction and I have been choosing to read more books set during the English Civil War so I was eager to read The King's Spy and I was not disappointed.  It's a period of history I used to know very little about, but my knowledge is gradually increasing thanks to wonderful authors such as Mark Turnbull bringing the period to life.

The King's Spy is a 125 page novella but there is so much going on that it reads like a full length novel.  There's not just war on the battlefield, there's a personal battle for the main character as he comes back into contact with the man who killed his family.

The writing is so vivid that it drew me into the story and I experienced all of the sights and sounds of the Civil War.  I loved the revenge story that adds depth to the characters and made me want to read more.  I often feel unfulfilled by novellas but Mark Turnbull has got the balance right between writing a satisfying conclusion and leaving the reader thirsty for more.

Filled with adventure and danger, The King's Spy is an incredibly entertaining and impressive novella.  It's a wonderful start to an exciting new historical fiction series and one I'd definitely recommend.

Many thanks to the author for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Lionheart (Richard the Lionheart Book 1) - Ben Kane

REBEL. LEADER. BROTHER. KING.

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard's older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling's newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard's life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family...

What did I think?

As a fan of historical fiction, I've always wanted to read a Ben Kane book so when I saw that he had changed historical period from Roman to Plantagenet I thought it was a good time to pick one up.  Richard the Lionheart is such a famous historical figure and I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about him, although I know a bit more about him now that I have read Lionheart.

Richard is Duke of Aquitaine when we first encounter him in Lionheart and rather surprisingly he is not the main character in the book.  The story is told from the point of view of Ferdia, an Irish nobleman who is being held captive at Striguil (now known as Chepstow) in Wales.  Ferdia is nicknamed Rufus because of his red hair and quickly acquires an arch-enemy, a knight named Robert FitzAldelm, who Ferdia refers to as Fists and Boots due to the constant physical bullying.  Ferdia and FitzAldelm take an instant dislike to each other but fate sees them crossing paths on many more occasions.

Lionheart tells Richard's story through Ferdia's eyes and it covers quite a lot of ground over a 10 year period from 1179 to 1189.  Richard's father, Henry II, is on the throne and growing weary of his four sons feuding and backstabbing each other.  I really enjoyed reading about the plotting and scheming between the boys: Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John (they sound like a medieval Beatles).  I was aware that Richard and John were brothers, but I didn't realise that there were other siblings so it was really interesting to find out how Richard I became Henry II's successor.

There are not only battles between the brothers, but there are actual battles portrayed in Lionheart.  The level of detail and vivid depiction of battle is clearly Ben Kane's forte.  The sights, sounds and smells of battle jump out of the pages as Richard evolves into the warrior we know he becomes.  I have to say that I found the battle scenes a bit hard going as I'm not terribly interested in strategy and war but I'm sure that most people will find it gripping and thrilling.

I loved reading Ferdia's story as his growing respect for Richard sees him overcoming his hatred of the English.  Ferdia seems very loyal, in both love and war, so I think that Richard has a good man by his side and Ferdia will have many more tales to tell in future instalments.  In this first instalment, Lionheart sets the scene perfectly for what I'm sure will be an epic series.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Final Reckoning (The Shadow of the Raven Book 3) - Chris Bishop

Despite Alfred's great victory at Edington, Wessex is far from secure.

With the threat of an imminent Viking attack, Matthew, now a warrior, is sent to fortify and defend the ford at Leatherhead. There, hopelessly outnumbered, he faces his sternest test as he and a small band of barely trained Saxon warriors strive to hold out long enough for help to arrive or resolve to die trying.

In a time ravaged by political uncertainty, Matthew is placed in intense personal danger as he is also ordered to investigate the tyranny of the Ealdorman's stepson and dispense justice as he sees fit.

With his life still threatened by the wound to his chest, what is asked of him seems more than any man should endure as he faces . . . The Final Reckoning  

What did I think?

I have loved the previous two books of the Shadow of the Raven series so I was really looking forward to this final chapter, albeit that would mean closing the book on Matthew's life.  What an eventful life he has had thanks to Chris Bishop's descriptive writing painting this Anglo Saxon history in such vivid colour.

It's troubled times in Wessex with Vikings camped on the banks of the Thames in Mercia, it's only a matter of time before they head south into Wessex.  King Alfred (the Great) of Wessex tasks Matthew, a former novice monk who was once known as Edward, to defend the ford at Leatherhead.  Accompanied only by his trusty companion, Aelred, he must turn the villagers into warriors if they are to survive the inevitable Viking attack.

You could of course read The Final Reckoning as a standalone book but to fully appreciate Matthew's story, it's best to read the series in order.  If you have read the earlier books, you will definitely remember the unforgettable opening passage of the first book, Blood and Destiny, so it was with a heavy heart (and one or two goosebumps) that I read the final chapter that brought us full circle to the start of the first book.

What an outstanding historical trilogy!  Chris Bishop has written such a riveting edge of your seat account of such a turbulent time in England's history.  I absolutely love the character of Edward/Matthew; he has such an eye for the ladies that he was never going to be able to live his life as a monk!  I am definitely going to read these books again to bring Matthew to live once more.  As the warrior with the pierced heart, he is reputedly immortal and he has indeed been given immortality in literature.

As an historical fiction lover, I think it is unusual to find such a colourful account of the Anglo-Saxon period.  In my opinion, Chris Bishop rivals Bernard Cornwell as my favoured author of the period; if you like Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories, you will LOVE Chris Bishop's The Shadow of the Raven series.  Don't just read The Final Reckoning, read all three books in this very highly recommended series.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Chris Bishop is a retired chartered surveyor who has pursued his love of writing for as long as he can remember. He is an intrepid traveller and a retired Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He is married with two children and four granddaughters and lives in London.

Website: theshadowoftheraven.com

Twitter: @CBishop_author

Follow the tour: