Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an awesome and exciting upcoming novel that I know I’m going to love with King’s Enemy by Ian Ross.
Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from historical fiction author Ian Ross, with Battle Song. The first entry of Ross’s de Norton trilogy, Battle Song followed a young English squire, Adam de Norton, who is forced into the service of notorious knight Sir Robert de Dunstanville. Following Sir Robert across Europe through the tournament scene, Adam soon learns what it is to be a fighter and a knight. However, when English lord Simon de Montfort rebels against King Henry III, Adam and Robert return home to a civil war, determined to fight on the side that will provide them the greatest reward. Battle Song ended up being a very epic novel, that was both action-packed and powerfully written, while also featuring an intriguing look at one of England’s lesser-known civil wars. I had such a great time with Battle Song, and it ended up being one of the best books I read in 2023.
Ross followed up Battle Song with the second novel in the de Norton trilogy, War Cry, which I read earlier this year. Set shortly after the events of Battle Song, War Cry sees a newly knighted Adam de Norton forced back into war when further rebellions kick off across England in support of the deposed King. This proved to be an outstanding sequel to Battle Song, and I loved how dark the story got in places, especially the ending where the protagonist loses everything. This was another exceptional read in my book, and it easily cemented me as a fan of Ross’s writing.
Due to how much fun I had with the first two books in this trilogy, I have been keeping a close eye out for the third book. Luckily, it doesn’t look like I am going to have to wait too much longer to find out how the trilogy ends as the final entry, King’s Enemy, is set for release in September. King’s Enemy sounds extremely awesome, especially as it will follow the protagonist and his love interest after they are branded as traitors and forced to flee across England towards a desperate last stand.
Plot Synopsis:
The Battle of Evesham has been fought and lost. The King is triumphant, Simon de Montfort is dead, and Adam de Norton is a prisoner, stripped of everything he once honoured and prized.
Escaping from captivity in the grim castle of Beeston, Adam becomes a fugitive in a country in turmoil. Branded a king’s enemy, he can be slain with impunity.
Together with the widowed Joane de Bohun, Adam flees across a bleak winter landscape, evading both pursuing royal troops and a desperate band of outlaws to seek shelter with a surviving rebel force in the north. But when the rebels are beaten once again, only one place in the land still holds out defiantly against the king: Kenilworth Castle, the mightiest fortress in England.
Joining the garrison of Kenilworth as it prepares for one of the most epic sieges in English history, Adam finds dangerous foes both inside and outside the walls. But as the siege grows ever more brutal, he must decide between a valiant defence and a still more perilous bid for freedom.
Now, after how epically dark the previous book ended, there was no way I wasn’t grabbing King’s Enemy when it came out. However, I have been even more keen to read this book after seeing the above plot synopsis. Having the protagonist go from respected knight to royal fugitive is an intriguing turn of events, and I’m sure that Ross will come up with an intense and desperate flight across England. In addition, the finale of the book is set to take place during one of the longest sieges in English history, which is very, very cool. I am a huge fan of books that feature epic sieges, and I cannot wait to see how Ross will approach this epic historical event.
Another aspect of King’s Enemy that I am very interested in seeing is the overall fate of the main character, Adam de Norton. Throughout Battle Song and War Cry, I have become highly invested in Adam’s story, especially as he is one of the few loyal, honourable and chivalrous knights in the plot. Ross has left open several intriguing character storylines that need to be addressed in the final novel, including his romance with Joane de Bohun, the various enemies he has accumulated throughout the war, and whether he will be allowed to remain a knight and keep his ancestral lands. I look forward to seeing how Ross wraps up Adam de Norton’s tale, and I cannot wait to find out what happens to this character.
Look, based on how impressive the first two novels in this trilogy have been, there is no chance that I would stop reading it now. I absolutely need to know how Ian Ross’s captivating historical tale ends, and the fact that the final chapter of the story features a massive siege is all I need to know to grab King’s Enemy the instant it comes out. As such, King’s Enemy is now one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2024 and I am so damn excited for it.
The Unseen Library 