Book Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sigurd’s Swords (Olaf’s Saga, Book 2) by Eric Schumacher @DarkAgeScribe @maryanneyarde

 

Sigurd’s Swords

(Olaf’s Saga, Book 2)

By Eric Schumacher

 

From best-selling historical fiction novelist, Eric Schumacher, comes the second volume in Olaf's Saga: the adrenaline-charged story of Olaf Tryggvason and his adventures in the kingdom of the Rus.

AD 968. It has been ten summers since the noble sons of the North, Olaf and Torgil, were driven from their homeland by the treachery of the Norse king, Harald Eriksson. Having then escaped the horrors of slavery in Estland, they now fight among the Rus in the company of Olaf's uncle, Sigurd.

It will be some of the bloodiest years in Rus history. The Grand Prince, Sviatoslav, is hungry for land, riches, and power, but his unending campaigns are leaving the corpses of thousands in their wakes. From the siege of Konugard to the battlefields of ancient Bulgaria, Olaf and Torgil struggle to stay alive in Sigurd's Swords, the riveting sequel to Forged by Iron.

Review

A well-rounded novel where history and story coexist without getting too much in the way of the other. Likeable characters, brilliantly executed battle scenes and enough humour to dampen the desperation of the situation faced by the protagonists.

I really enjoyed this book and I thought the story was both interesting and intriguing, it certainly kept me turning those pages.

I think this book would especially appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom.

 

Purchase Links 

Amazon

This book is avaliable on #KindleUnlimited 

 

Eric Schumacher

 

Eric Schumacher (1968 - ) is an American historical novelist who currently resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife and two children. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended college at the University of San Diego.

At a very early age, Schumacher discovered his love for writing and medieval European history, as well as authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Those discoveries continue to fuel his imagination and influence the stories he tells. His first novel, God's Hammer, was published in 2005.

 

Social Media Links 

Website ✧ Twitter ✧ Facebook ✧ LinkedIn ✧ BookBub ✧ Amazon Author Page ✧ Goodreads

 

✧ Book Spotlight - The Sterling Directive By Tim Standish

 

The Sterling Directive

By Tim Standish

 

It is 1896. In an alternative history where Babbage’s difference engines have become commonplace, Captain Charles Maddox, wrongly convicted of a murder and newly arrested for treason, is rescued from execution by a covert agency called the Map Room. 

Maddox is given the choice of taking his chances
with the authorities or joining the Map Room as an agent and helping them uncover a possible conspiracy surrounding the 1888 Ripper murders. Seeing little choice, Maddox accepts the offer and joins the team of fellow agents Church and Green. With help from the Map Room team, Maddox (now Agent Sterling) and Church investigate the Ripper murders and uncover a closely guarded conspiracy deep within the British Government. Success depends on the two of them quickly forging a successful partnership as agents and following the trail wherever, and to whomever, it leads. 

An espionage thriller set in an alternative late 19th-century London.

 

Purchase Links 

Amazon UK ✧ Amazon US ✧ Amazon CA ✧ Barnes and Noble ✧ Waterstones ✧ Audio

 

Tim Standish

 

Tim Standish grew up in England, Scotland and Egypt. Following a degree in Psychology, his career has included teaching English in Spain, working as a researcher on an early computer games project, and working with groups and individuals on business planning, teamworking and personal development.

He has travelled extensively throughout his life and has always valued the importance of a good book to get through long flights and long waits in airports. With a personal preference for historical and science fiction as well as the occasional thriller, he had an idea for a book that would blend all three and The Sterling Directive was created.

When not working or writing, Tim enjoys long walks under big skies and is never one to pass up a jaunt across a field in search of an obscure historic site. He has recently discovered the more-exciting-than-you-would-think world of overly-complicated board games.

 

Social Media Links 

Twitter ✧ Goodreads

 

Author image taken by Hannah Couzens Photography.

 

 

 

Review - Wars of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden

 Wars of the Roses: Stormbird

By Conn Iggulden 

 

King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is dead.

It's up to his son to take the throne, but frail in body and mind, he is dependent on his supporters to run his kingdom.

Richard, Duke of York, believes that without a strong king England will fall.

And as the threat from France grows, and rebellion on home soil spreads, his fears seem justified.

Who can save the throne?

Who will defend the kingdom?
 

Review

The War of the Roses - the bloodiest family feud ever!! I was really looking forward to read this novel because I had heard so many great things about it. I am pleased to report that it did not disappoint, and I loved every minuted of it. 

From the setting to the characters themselves, everything screamed realism and it was as if I had taken a step back in time and was watching over the proceedings. This novel certainly deserves your time.

 

 

 

Review - God of Vengeance (The Rise of Sigurd 1) by Giles Kristian

 

God of Vengeance

(The Rise of Sigurd 1)

By Giles Kristian 

 

IT BEGAN WITH THE BETRAYAL OF A LORD BY A KING...

Norway 785 AD. When King Gorm puts Jarl Harald's family to the sword, he makes one fatal mistake - he fails to kill Harald's youngest son, Sigurd.

His kin slain, his village seized, his taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. With them - and with the help of the All-Father, Odin - he determines to make a king pay for his treachery.

Using cunning and war-craft, Sigurd gathers together a fellowship of warriors - including his father's right-hand man Olaf, Bram (who men call Bear), Black Floki who wields death with a blade, and the shield maiden Valgerd, who fears no man - and convinces them to follow him.

For, whether Ódin is with him or not, Sigurd WILL have vengeance. And neither men nor gods had best stand in his way . . .

 

Review

 

I love to read a well throughout and scripted battle scene; I think it takes a lot of skill to portray the horrors of battle in words, and to make it as realistic as possible. This novel is battle scene heavy, it is literally one fight to the next with hardly a rest in between. To be honest, I thought there was a little too much warfare in this novel and some of it came across as really unrealistic. 

 

Saying that however, the story, if you skip all the battle scenes, is really fast-paced. I did enjoy this novel, but I thought if there had been more story, and less fighting, it would have appealed to me a little more than it did.

 

 

Review - The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham

 

The Berlin Girl

By Mandy Robotham

 

Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm.

Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act – even if it means putting their lives on the line.

But when she digs deeper, Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler’s Germany – and the pair are pulled into a world darker than she could ever have imagined…

 

Review

Since reading The Secrets of Saffron Hall I have decided to explore other eras in historical fiction. I have never read a book set in World War 2 and, I am ashamed to admit, that I only have a very rudimentary understanding of the events that happened, so, yes, I did feel a little out of my depth when I stared to read this novel. But the author has done such an amazing job of bringing this era to life that my concerns that I would not understand the story because of its setting vanished.

This novel was deeply moving, and I did shed a few tears while reading it. It is certainly work checking out.

 

Review - Wolf of Wessex by Matthew Harffy

 Wolf of Wessex

By Matthew Harffy

 

AD 838. Deep in the forests of Wessex, Dunston's solitary existence is shattered when he stumbles on a mutilated corpse.

Accused of the murder, Dunston must clear his name and keep the dead man's daughter alive in the face of savage pursuers desperate to prevent a terrible secret from being revealed.

Rushing headlong through Wessex, Dunston will need to use all the skills of survival garnered from a lifetime in the wilderness. And if he has any hope of victory against the implacable enemies on their trail, he must confront his long-buried past – becoming the man he once was and embracing traits he had promised he would never return to. The Wolf of Wessex must hunt again; honour and duty demand it. 

Review:

I have heard many great things about Matthew Harffy's books, but this is the first book I have read of his. He certainly lives up to all the acclaim because this story was fabulous from start to finish. So much happens in this book, and Dunston is an unlikely hero, which made this book all the more enthralling.

The historical backdrop of this novel has been magnificently researched. It really did feel like I had stepped back in time. This may well be the first book I have read by Matthew Harffy, but it is certainly not going to be the last.

 

 

 

 

 

Review - The Secrets of Saffron Hall by Clare Marchant

 

The Secrets of Saffron Hall

 By Clare Marchant

 

Two women. Five centuries apart.
One life-changing secret about to be unearthed…

1538
New bride Eleanor impresses her husband by growing saffron, a spice more valuable than gold. His reputation in Henry VIII’s court soars – but fame and fortune come at a price, for the king’s favour will not last forever…

2019
When Amber discovers an ancient book in her grandfather’s home at Saffron Hall, the contents reveal a dark secret from the past. As she investigates, so unravels a forgotten tragic story and a truth that lies much closer to home than she could have imagined…

Review:

Hands up, this is not the usual genre that I read, but a dear friend of mine read this book and implored me to read it. I did so with a small amount of trepidation the Tudor era is not my go to era in history because I think the Tudors were a bunch of pretentious well, let’s leave it there. Anyway, I promised my friend that I would read this book, and so I did.

What I wasn’t expecting was to enjoy it as much as I did!

This novel really grabbed my attention from the opening and continued to hold it throughout the story. The duel timelines worked really well, and I never felt jarred or disjointed from the novel. Despite this period not being my thing, I very much enjoyed it.