Title – Fire & Steel (King’s Bane Book 1)
Author –  C.R. May
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –  355 Pages
Publication – March 2016
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

 

Synopsis

523 A.D. Arthur is dead.

As Britannia burns a small tribe clings to its colony of Anglia.

Across the German Sea powerful enemies covet Engeln itself.

But the English are not easily cowed.

As Spear-Danes threaten the homeland a hero returns,

leading the fightback with ferocity and guile…

 

Review

I always like to do a bit of research before I read a book from an author, as in do they have any other books out, etc., and a quick look shows C.R. May has a few books under his belt with some very decent reviews so I was looking forward to what could promise to be a great series to get into.

I wasn’t disappointed at all, it’s a nonstop ride for Eofer and his loyal men… honestly the man never stops moving.

I really enjoyed the descriptiveness and the language used to weave this tale, it was a nice blend of words I’m familiar with whilst also engaging my brain with some words I’ve not come across before.. I like this in a book, hooks you in and keeps your brain active.

Not much is given away by the synopsis but you can tell from that and the cover that war is afoot…and lots of it. Revenge is the word to describe this book. Every action has a reaction and it left me wondering what was coming next, and indeed left me wondering what more can happen in book 2.

I did feel at times the story jumped too fast. At one stage our hero arrives home and sees his family but with the turn of the page, he’s off again. It didn’t leave much chance for the characters to develop or for me to bond with them but the author’s style of writing leads me to believe these characters develop long term, not just over one book

From reading the author’s notes I can tell some of these characters have appeared in previous books also which will spur me on to read his previous books to gain more perspective into these characters.

While I would have liked to see a bit more growth with a few characters I did however fall I love with a few of the others. There were two who stood out for me as the most interesting: Grimwulf and Spearhafoc. I hope they play a big part in the next book

The storyline itself took me a few chapters to get into, to understand who Eofer was, but once things got going I was hooked. I’m never one for spoiling a story but look out for some awesome battlefield scenes being played out.

Overall, this is a very strong book, with a decent storyline with some very good characters who I hope will develop throughout the series. It’s a fast paced, well written story full of blood and death. The author clearly knows his stuff and the historical notes at the end of the book help keep fact from fiction. Credit to the author, he’s left me with a taste for his work, and I want more

The book is out now! to find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

 

 

Guest review contributed by David’s Book Blurg. David features book reviews, author spotlights, and author interviews from his home base in the UK.

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Buried Threads

A disturbing prophecy sends a treasure hunting duo on an urgent race to rescue a country in Kaylin McFarren’s heart pounding new novel, Buried Threads. Full of erotic suspense and wild adventures, this is one trip that readers will never forget!

Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen work together as the successful owners of a treasure hunting company. But a seemingly simple assignment–to track down a priceless gem that is believed to be buried in a shipwreck deep within the Sea of Japan–takes a startling, and dangerous, turn.

Faced with a monk’s dark prophecy that a natural disaster will soon strike Japan, killing millions, Rachel and Chase must embark on the mission of a lifetime in order to uncover the three cursed samurai swords that can avert the catastrophe.

Chaos ensues as their adventure takes them from shark infested waters and creepy caves to haunted hidden tombs and a confrontation with Yakuza gang members. Time is running out as the prophecy’s day of reckoning draws near. Will Rachel and Chase succeed before disaster strikes?

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