presterjohn1

A bit convoluted but worth the time

Reviewed: 09-09-19

Well, what to say about this long Robin Hood novel? First off, it could be a lot shorter and less convoluted. Having said that, it is also highly derivative of the last four or five filmed versions of Robin Hood. Maybe that's not fair, as any story told as often as Robin Hood's is bound to owe a debt to previous versions.

So those are the aspects I think needed improvement. However, I also liked a number of components. First off, the characterization of Prince John was very amusing. The villains are not cardboard cut-outs at all; even Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a multi-dimensional creation. The relationship between Robin and the Sheriff is delightful, though it is occasionally clear as mud how they wound up on opposite sides. I liked that it was a complete story and need not be the launch of a series: it said what it wanted to say.

Overall, I recommend the audiobook (which I listened to) as it is well read by two narrators (male and female).

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Great medieval action!

Reviewed: 08-31-19

This novel has plenty of action mixed with a bit of romance and political intrigue. The plot centres on the titular feud between two noble families against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses.

There are truly vile villains and heroes who face their enemies with bravery and self-doubt. Edmund Radcliffe is an utterly evil creation.

The heroines are well-developed and respond to their circumstances in very different ways. The author clearly demonstrates that these poor women live in a man's world. For all that, they have their strength and fight for their freedom and happiness.

The author writes his action and his characters well and I expect to read on in this series.

Mike Rogers is a very effective and professional narrator.

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Another excellent entry in the Bernicia Chronicles

Reviewed: 08-10-19

Once more, Matthew Harffy delivers another exciting Beobrand adventure.

This time, the heroic thane is on a quest that takes him beyond the familiar ground of Albion: an open sea, ruled by pirates, and a province of the kingdom of Francia, dominated by a depraved overlord. Beobrand must fulfill his quest against all odds, battling his own self-doubt along with pirates and foreign men-at-arms. The tale is full of menaces we still fear in the 21st century as much as in Beobrand's time. Harffy has conquered sea battles in this story just as in previous installments he mastered medieval battles on land. It makes for a refreshing change of pace.

Harffy has a deliciously evocative style, capturing the poetry of an Anglo-Saxon epic in modern and often earthy prose. It's very satisfying.

The way is paved for further adventures and complications in the life of Beobrand and I look forward to future installments of the Bernicia Chronicles.

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Excellent

Reviewed: 01-03-19

These lectures effectively cover a sprawling and complex topic. Dorsey Armstrong is a capable, organized and confident presenter. Recommended.

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The Blood Countess

Reviewed: 12-16-18

This is a satisfactory introduction to the history surrounding Elizabeth Bathory, including some of the arguments historians have about her and her place in popular culture. The book is not particularly well-written and is full of repetition... not a good sign in so short a book. The narration is very good.

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1 person found this helpful

More Medieval Battlefield Action

Reviewed: 12-16-18

Sir John Page returns, this time pointing his sword east to Bohemia and the Hussite Wars, where he takes service with Jan Žižka. More well-researched, gritty and real historical fiction.

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Entertaining Plays Bring History To Life

Reviewed: 12-14-18

These entertaining dramas feature excellent performances by some very fine actors like David Warner and Jane Lapotaire. These nine plays condense more than three hundred years of history and cover the reigns of most of the major Plantagenet kings. Women are well-represented in these plays with the roles of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Margaret of Anjou, both of whom wield statecraft and power. This series was well worth the time it took to listen to.

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4 people found this helpful

Like A Medieval Flashman

Reviewed: 12-14-18

As ever with a book by David Pilling, you get a fine blend of well-researched historical fiction and high adventure, salted with blood and humour. Sir John Page is one of Pilling's most exciting heroes to date because while he lives in history, you have no idea what the unconventional man may do next. History isn't just a background for this tale: the characterizations of King Henry V and Mehmed the Conqueror are well-drawn and believable; the battles and sieges are bloody and diseased and as far from glorious as we can get. John Page moves between these characters and these conflicts with the stumbling skill of a medieval Flashman. I'll be back for more soon when I carry on with "The Heretic".

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An Epic of Blood, Honour and Revenge

Reviewed: 12-06-18

Another fine epic of blood, honour and revenge by Matthew Harffy. In this volume, Beobrand resolves old feuds and pursues new ones and faces the enemies of Bernicia in great battles. Once more the violence strikes close to his heart. There are some fine twists and turns for several characters in this tale and the consequences of old actions return to haunt the present. Harffy's reconstruction and reimagining of the Dark Ages continues to thrill and chill in the latest volume and I'd recommend it to fans of Cornwell, Iggulden and Scarrow. The Audible edition is brilliantly narrated by Barnaby Edwards, who commands the voice of the characters with ease and manages old Anglo-Saxon character and place names very capably.

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High Adventure in the Dark Ages

Reviewed: 12-04-18

Matthew Harffy continues to deliver on Dark Ages thrill and chills with the fourth volume of his Bernicia Chronicles. As usual there is brilliant battle action and political intrigue, but many sub-plots set in motion in the early volumes come to fruition in this story in very satisfying ways. Harffy's writing is a joy to read (or listen to, as I listened to the audiobook narrated by Barnaby Edwards), full of evocative prose that effectively recreates seventh century England. It's a land peopled by warriors, thanes, witches, peasants and kings of every stripe. It's a time when Christianity wars with older religions for the souls of kings and common men. It's a trip well worth taking and I cannot recommend Killer of Kings too highly... although I strongly recommend that any new reader start with volume one. Excellent work.

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