Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 13 April 2023.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Weekly website.
Make sure to also check out my extended reviews for Dead of Night, The Investigators and Fatal Legacy.
Category: Historical Fiction
Quick Review – Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (Trade Paperback – 11 April 2023)
Series: Flavia Albia – Book 11
Length: 397 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Return to one of my favourite historical fiction series with another clever crime fiction read set in ancient Rome with Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis.
While I have had the pleasure of reading many great historical fiction series and books over the years, few have been as enjoyable to me as the Flavia Albia books by legendary author Lindsey Davis. The follow-up to her iconic and long-running Falco novels, the series follow the titular Flavia Albia, a private investigator in Rome who finds herself involved with a series of unusual or gruesome crimes, often resulting in a series of over-the-top events. I have had a great deal of fun with the Flavia Albia books over the years, including The Third Nero, Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death, The Grove of the Caesars (one of my favourite books of 2020), A Comedy of Terrors and Desperate Undertakings (one of my favourite books of 2022), and I am always excited to check out the latest novel in the series, especially when it has an intriguing plot behind it.
Plot Synopsis:
An unpaid bar bill leads Flavia Albia to her most bitter and complex case yet.
Decades earlier Appius Tranquillus Surus wrote his will: it freed his slaves and bequeathed his businesses to them. He left an orchard to the Prisci, a family he was friendly with, on the condition that his freedmen could still take its harvest.
The convoluted arrangement has led to a feud between the two families, each of which has its own internal strife. Endless claims and counterclaims lead to violence and even death. Lawyers have given up in exasperation as the case limps on. The original will has disappeared, along with a falsified codicil – and might there be another one?
But is there a solution? Two youngsters from each side of the divide, Gaius Venuleius and Cosca Sabatina, have fallen in love, which could unite the feuding families. There is only one problem: were Sabatina’s grandmother and father really liberated in the Surus will? If not, the stigma of slavery will stop the marriage and the dispute will rage on forever.
Reconciliation seems impossible, but Albia will try. Her investigation must cut through decades of secrets, arguments, lies and violence to reach a startling truth.
Fatal Legacy was another compelling and fun entry in the series which once again brings together Davis’ fantastic take on Roman historical fiction with a unique mystery and several entertaining characters. Fatal Legacy was the 11th book in the Flavia Albia series, and it proved to be quite an exciting and addictive read.
I had a lot of fun with Fatal Legacy’s great story, especially as it requires the protagonist to dive into an elaborate family feud. Starting off by chance as Flavia attempts to appease one of her many eccentric relatives by investigating an unpaid bar bill, Flavia soon finds a family even more disastrous than her own when she encounters an infamous Roman clan embroiled in a variety of issues, including a feud with another family over a profitable orchard, as well as various internal conflicts and problems. Hired to find proof that one member of the family was legally freed by their previous master, Flavia is forced to examine the labyrinthine relationships, family history and feuds that define this conflict, all while trying to deal with her own personal concerns. This swiftly descends into a complex mess of many, many secrets, and readers will be left completely enthralled by how the story unfolds.
This was one of the more unique mysteries that Davis has come up with in her series, which really helped to set this book apart. I personally enjoyed how Davis changed the focus of the book onto a family’s internal and external history and drama rather than the typical murder investigation, especially as it made for quite entertaining reading. There are layers upon layers of secrets, betrayals, and hidden family connections that the reader needs to travel through to get to the truth, and you really get caught up in the new characters as a result. The slow trawl through this history results in several great twists and turns, and it was fun watching the protagonist slowly unwind the many threads of the case, while also trying to avoid as much as their bitter conflict as possible. I appreciated have Davis tried to break up this family focused investigation in places by adding in a few entertaining scenes, such as a farcical brawl at the protagonist’s house, as well as several over-the-top encounters amongst the family that Flavia is trying to investigate/help. Despite that, the story does get rather dry and slow in places, especially towards the centre of the book as the reader gets a bit weary of finding out even more layers to the slow-paced mystery that emerges. It also doesn’t help that this case has low stakes, especially compared to some of Davis’s other books that feature murder and serial killers, and this occasionally dulls the reader’s excitement. Despite that, Davis manages to bring together quite an excellent read, and I loved the elaborate and fun reveal sequence at the end, which in some ways acts as a parody to classic whodunnits.
In addition to the clever and elaborate mystery, Fatal Legacy also features a great combination of entertaining characters and the typical fun ancient Rome setting. I always love Davis’ vision of ancient Rome that are featured in the Flavia Albia books, especially as she tries to bring together classic Roman elements with characters and attitudes that are more recognisable in a modern setting. Having the ancient characters speak with modern dialogue and act in ways we would associate more with contemporary people rather than figures in classic times gives the story a relatable and humorous edge at times, and it is always fun to see this version of ancient Rome. This combines well with the cast of Fatal Legacy, especially as Davis introduces an eclectic group of new characters whose complex personal problems result in the book’s intriguing mystery. The fun interactions between Flavia and these figures are very entertaining, and you have to love the protagonist’s cynical and sarcastic observations about the people she is forced to deal with. The chaotic family she is forced to investigate contrasts comedically with Flavia’s own dysfunctional household, which got a good amount of focus in Fatal Legacy. I think that Davis featured Flavia’s own family just the right amount in this latest book (sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming and distracting), and it was fun to see them interact, and at one point get into a massive punch up, with some of the case-specific character of the main plot. All this helps to turn Fatal Legacy into a great read with an excellent blend of mystery, comedy and big personalities.
Overall, I felt that Fatal Legacy was a pretty awesome entry in one of my favourite historical fiction series. Lindsey Davis wrote an outstanding and distinctive story for Fatal Legacy, and readers will enjoy the complex and character-focussed mystery that emerges as a result. While aspects of Fatal Legacy’s narrative might not be as sharp as some of the other books in the Flavia Albia series, this was still an excellent read and one that fans of Davis will have a great time reading.
Canberra Weekly Column – Historical Fiction – 22 September 2022
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 22 September 2022.
Make sure to also check out my extended review of Dark Rooms, Essex Dogs and Act of Oblivion.
Quick Reviews – Dark Rooms, Essex Dogs and Blow Back
In recent weeks, I have been trying to review several older books; especially ones that I read last year but never got a chance to publish about. I am hoping to rectify that to a degree now by publishing brief reviews for three intriguing 2022 releases that I had a great time reading.
Dark Rooms by Lynda La Plante
Publisher: Zaffre (Trade Paperback – 16 August 2022)
Series: Tennison – Book Eight
Length: 319 pages
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Over the last few years, I have had a great time getting through the amazing Tennison series by iconic crime fiction author Lynda La Plante. A prequel series to the Prime Suspect television series, the Tennison books follows a younger version of Prime Suspect’s protagonist, Jane Tennison, as she works her way up the ranks while investigating several intriguing crimes. There have been some awesome books in this series so far, including Good Friday, Murder Mile, The Dirty Dozen, Blunt Force and Unholy Murder, each of which is worth a read, especially for fans of the original show. I managed to get through the eighth book in the series, Dark Rooms, last year, and it is high time I wrote a review for it, especially as the next Tennison thriller is out just around the corner.
Plot Synopsis:
Helena Lanark is an elderly woman, living in a luxurious care home. The heiress of an immense family fortune, she keeps the secret to the horror which once occurred within the Lanark family house.
Jane Tennison is leading a murder investigation into the recent brutal death of a young girl, her decomposed starved body discovered in an old air raid shelter in the garden of the Lanark’s now derelict house. Initially the focus is on identifying the victim, until another body is found, hidden in the walls of the shelter.
As the investigation and search for answers intensifies, Jane travels to Australia. There she discovers the dark secret, that the Lanark family has kept hidden for decades. A secret, that not only threatens to bring down a family dynasty, but also places Jane Tennison in mortal danger . . .
This was a fairly compelling crime fiction novel from La Plante, although I must admit that it wasn’t my favourite Tennison novel. Dark Rooms’ story has an excellent start to it, with Tennison investigating the sinister death of a young woman in an abandoned air raid shelter. This mystery gets even more complicated when the body of a young baby is also found in the basement. However, this strong start doesn’t last for as long as I would have liked, with the more interesting case about the dead young woman being solved relatively quickly (although with an extremely dark solution), leaving only the mystery of the dead baby behind.
This second case, while interesting in its own way, is simpler than I would have liked, and the mystery behind it is actually a bit obvious. La Plante does insert some great dramatic elements behind it, especially behind the tragic nature of the events behind it, as well as the unreliability of the main witness, which increases the emotional impact of the story. I also quite liked the quick journey to Australia that Tennison undertakes to get answers, which was a nice change of pace that I rather enjoyed. However, none of this helps to make the case as interesting or suspenseful as it needed to be, and I did not get as attached to the second half of the book. It also didn’t help that La Plante was a reusing a lot of story elements from the previous entries in the series here, with Tennison facing the usual sexist boss and police department, and the author spending too much time on the protagonist’s social life than was strictly needed. As such, the story drags in the places, and the lack of a particularly substantive and complex mystery ensures that it never really picks up to the degree you hope it would.
Overall, Dark Rooms was a weaker Tennison novel from Lynda La Plante, and one that does not really stand out when compared to some of the more impressive books in the series. While I am little critical of it, Dark Rooms did have its interesting and powerful moments, and is still worth a read, especially for established fans of the series. I am hoping that the next book in the series, Taste of Blood, has a better story behind it, and I am still intrigued to see how this series continues.
Essex Dogs by Dan Jones
Publisher: Head of Zeus (Trade Paperback – 30 August 2022)
Series: Essex Dogs – Book One
Length: 456 pages
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
One of the more intriguing historical fiction debuts of 2022 had to be the awesome action adventure novel, Essex Dogs by Dan Jones.
Plot Synopsis:
July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.
Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.
Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground – and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.
This was a very fun and exciting historical read that followed a small band of soldiers, the titular Essex Dogs, as they find themselves in the middle of the initial campaign of the Hundred Years War. Jones writes a very compelling and action-packed story with a huge focus on camaraderie and survival, as the small band works together to try and overcome the many obstacles before and around them. Written in the same character and themes as Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan, Essex Dogs has a good mixture of compelling historical detail, intense action, and interesting character moments, as the full story unleashes itself upon the reader with some major dramatic moments. Cleverly working these characters into the middle of all the key events that occurred between the English landing in France all the way up to the Battle of Crécy (with some intriguing real historical extracts to give a fun contrast included at the start of each chapter), you will get wrapped up in Jones’ awesome and electrifying story.
This was a very impressive overall read, and I loved how well Jones managed to bring to life several desperate soldiers and lead them through the chaotic historical events depicted in Essex Dogs. The captivating action, deep character moments, and inherent tragedy of war really help to turn this into an outstanding read and a pretty great first outing from Dan Jones as an author. This ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2022, and I am very interested to see how Jones will continue the story in the upcoming 2023 sequel, Wolves of Winter.
Blow Back by James Patterson and Brendan Dubois
Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 1 September 2022)
Series: Standalone
Length: 503 pages
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A great thriller that I had high hopes for in 2022 was the compelling James Patterson novel (co-written with Brendan Dubois), Blow Back, that featured a fun story about an insane US President.
Plot Synopsis:
He’s America’s most brilliant president ever. He’s also a psychopath.
US president Keegan Barrett swept into office on his success as director of the CIA. Six months into his first term, he devises a clandestine power grab with a deadly motive: Revenge.
President Barrett personally orders Special Agents Liam Grey and Noa Himel to execute his plan, but their loyalties are divided. As CIA agents they’ve sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all threats, both foreign and domestic.
When the threat comes directly from the Oval Office, that’s where the blowback begins.
Blow Back ended up being a very entertaining thriller that was extremely easy to read. The authors deploy the typical Patterson style of short, sharp chapters, and several intriguing character perspectives to showcase the exciting tale, and I loved the great buildup that occurs in the first third of the novel. Told primarily through the eyes of two US intelligence agents brought in to oversee the President’s planned intelligence revival, the first third of the book is pretty awesome as you watch them change the game in several exciting ways. There is a ton of action-packed sequences and exciting espionage moments during this first half, as well as some frank and compelling assessments of the state of US, Russian and Chinese intelligence programs in America and across the world, all of which makes for some epic reading. While the focus is primarily on espionage and the actions of the protagonists, there is also a tangible and compelling sense of dread building in the background as the reader gets closer and closer to seeing what the President is actually planning.
The eventual reveal of the President’s full duplicity and the evil schemes he has cooked up help change the tone of the second half of the book as the protagonists, who have been manipulated the entire way through, are now forced to work outside the system to try and save themselves and the entire world. This makes for a pulse-pounding second half, and the cool story is loaded with chases, firefights and betrayals, all set around an apocalyptic scenario with a ticking clock behind it. I honestly had a hard time putting the novel down, and the authors’ easy-to-read style really worked in Blow Back’s favour, producing a lightning quick read with a fun conclusion to it. I did think that the story did not hit as hard as it possibly could have, and I might have preferred a few more twists or big moments towards the end. I also didn’t get particularly invested in any of the major protagonists, although I did find President Barrett to be a very fun villain, especially when he completely loses his marbles and goes full evil warmongering tyrant on his enemies.
While I did think that Blow Back’s narrative did have a few issues and could have been a little tighter and more explosive in places, this was a still a very fun read and one that is guaranteed to keep thriller fans highly entertained and engaged. The fast-paced story proves very hard to put down, and you will get really swept up in Blow Back’s ultra-exciting story of a psychotic and morally bankrupt President trying to destroy the world in his own compelling way.
Waiting on Wednesday – War Cry by Ian Ross
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 my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an impressive historical fiction sequel coming out later this year that I am very excited for with War Cry by Ian Ross.
Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reading the very fun and very captivating historical fiction novel, Battle Song by a new-to-me author, Ian Ross, who had previously written several intriguing Roman historical fiction books. Battle Song was an outstanding novel that followed a young squire, Adam de Norton, who was forced into the service of a rogue knight, Sir Robert de Dunstanville. The naïve Adam was soon taught the reality of life under the tutelage of Robert, who specialised in using guile and underhanded strategy to profit from the tourney scene, while also working to recover his lost lands. This intriguing novel eventually turned into a full war story as Sir Robert and Adam return to England during Simon de Montfort’s rebellion against King Henry III and are forced to choose a side in the deadly civil war that followed.
I had an amazing time with Battle Song when I read it this year and there are so many great elements to it, including its complex characters, the fantastic adventure narrative, and all the cool historical detail, especially as Ross dived into a particularly interesting and underfeatured English civil war. This ended up being one of the best books I read in the first half of 2023, and I was very interested to see if Ross was planning to follow up Battle Song in the future. Well, it looks like Ross has been working overtime with his writing as a second novel is coming out in December of this year. This book, the second entry in the de Norton trilogy, will be titled War Cry and looks set to take the protagonists of Battle Song on another deadly adventure.
Plot Synopsis:
1265
England has a new master.
Simon de Montfort’s victory at the Battle of Lewes has made him king in all but name. He has vowed to restore the rights and liberties of the kingdom, but now even his friends grow wary of his power.
As old alliances break down, new rebellions gather strength. The captive king’s supporters muster, vowing to overthrow the new regime.
Meanwhile Adam de Norton, who won the honour of knighthood on the field at Lewes, has reclaimed his ancestral lands. A peaceful and prosperous future lies before him – until he receives a summons he cannot refuse.
War is inevitable. But this time, will Adam be on the winning side?
I really like the sound of this upcoming sequel, mainly because it looks like War Cry is going to dive even deeper into the events surrounding Simon de-Montfort’s rebellion, which is really quite fascinating. I look forward to seeing Ross explain this part of history even further and it will be even more interesting to see where the various characters introduced in the first book, particularly Adam and Richard, end up, especially with a new rebellion around the corner. Honestly, as long as War Cry contains all the great action and intrigue of the first book, as well as keeps exploring the amazing characters, I’ll be pretty damn happy, so I’m very much looking forward to this book.
Look, after all the fun I had reading Battle Song earlier this year there is no way that I’m not going to dive into War Cry the second I get my hands on it. I’m hoping that this awesome sounding sequel will be just as exciting and captivating as the first book and I’m very much in the mood for more historical action and adventure this year. As such, War Cry is now very high up on my 2023 to-read list and I have no doubt that it will turn out to be particularly amazing novel.
Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2023. While my previous list looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.
Just like with my list about fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.
Honourable Mentions:
Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe – 5 July 2023
Agent Eighteen by John Brownlow – 8 August 2023
A cool sequel to Seventeen, one of the best debuts of 2022, Agent Eighteen will continue Brownlow’s thrilling tale of elite assassins trying to kill each other.
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin – 8 August 2023
The Exchange by John Grisham – 17 October 2023
A sequel to the classic John Grisham novel, The Firm. Need I say more?
Top Ten List (by release date):
Kill for Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh – 3 August 2023
A fantastic and intense standalone thriller from the always impressive and fun Steve Cavanagh. I am a big fan of Cavanagh’s legal thrillers (see my reviews for The Devil’s Advocate and The Accomplice), and I look forward to powering through this awesome book, especially as it has a fantastic Strangers on a Train vibe to it.
Ripper by Shelley Burr – 30 August 2023
Shelley Burr, the author of Wake, one of the best debuts and Australian fiction novels of 2022, returns with an intriguing new crime fiction novel, Ripper. Set in a dying Australian town made famous for its serial killer heritage, Ripper sounds like another outstanding read from Burr, and I am interested to see how she continues the cool story started in Wake.
Holly by Stephen King – 5 September 2023
The master of suspense, Stephen King, has yet another awesome book coming out later this year with Holly. Following one of his most compelling recurring protagonists, Holly Gibney, this new novel from King will see Holly face off against dark secrets, hidden opponents, and a mysterious set of married, octogenarians, to find a missing child. This sounds like a very cool new book and I cannot wait to dive into the latest, captivating Stephen King novel in a few months’ time.
Code Red by Kyle Mills – 12 September 2023
For the last few years, I have had a lot of fun with the fantastic Mitch Rapp series, going out of my way to get a copy of each new release in the series. Following a dangerous government agent who faces off against all manner of elaborate threats, the Mitch Rapp books are a ton of fun and I have deeply enjoyed the excellent stories that author Kyle Mills (who took over from original author Vince Flynn) has come up with (check out my reviews for Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates and Oath of Loyalty). The next book in the series, Code Red, will see Rapp once again face off against the Russians in a deadly conspiracy, and I know I’m going to have a fun time getting through it.
The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 14 September 2023
Few new books from 2022 impressed me as much as the fantastic historical fiction novel, The Lawless Land by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. Following an excommunicated knight as he tries to regain his honour by saving a precious artefact from a corrupt cardinal, The Lawless Land was a brilliant, exciting, and powerful historical adventure, and one that I took great joy in reading. I was very happy to see that the Morrison’s were returning for a sequel this year with The Last True Templar, and I know it is going to be an outstanding read. I already have a copy of The Last True Templar and I am hoping to read it soon.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman – 15 September 2023
Few books in 2023 are going to be as awesome as the new Thursday Murder Club book, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman. Following on from the exceptional novels, The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite novels, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2022), The Last Devil to Die sounds like an incredible read and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Continuing the story of the titular Thursday Murder Club, a group of bored retirees who solve elaborate murders, The Last Devil to Die will no doubt feature Osman’s trademark humour, intelligence and outstanding character work, which is always so impressive. I already know this is going to be one of the top books of the year and I am so damn excited for it.
The Armour of Light by Ken Follett – 26 September 2023
I was very happy to find out that Ken Follet was releasing a new historical fiction novel in 2023, especially as it is part of his iconic Kingsbridge series (see my reviews for The Evening and the Morning and A Column of Fire). This outstanding series follows a range of unique protagonists at various points in the history of the English town of Kingsbridge, and every novel in this series has been pretty damn incredible. This new book will be set during the start of the industrial revolution and the war with Napoleon, and you just know that Follett is going to have a lot of fun diving into this complex period. I have no doubt that this epic read is going to effortless grab my attention and this will prove to be one of the best historical novels of the year.
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson – 17 October 2023
Few Australian authors are impressing me as much as Benjamin Stevenson these days, especially with his work in the crime fiction genre. As such, I am very keen for his new book, Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, especially as it is a sequel to his fantastic 2022 novel, Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone was one of the funniest and cleverest novels of the year and Stevenson wove together a brilliant narrative that combined a clever mystery with messy family dynamics, all while hilariously parodying classic detective novels/whodunits. Everyone on This Train is a Suspect looks set to continue this trend by forcing the protagonist to solve a murder on a train full of professional crime fiction authors. I have no doubt that I am going to laugh myself silly reading this book and I am so damn excited to read it.
Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly – 7 November 2023
What would the end of a year be without a new novel from legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly. I have had an amazing time reading some of Connelly’s recent novels, including Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire, The Dark Hours, Desert Star and Fair Warning, and I am always excited for a new novel from this amazing author. Luckily, I won’t have to wait too much longer as Connelly is releasing the intriguing novel, Resurrection Walk in November. The seventh book in the Mickey Haller series (make sure to check out my review for the sixth book, The Law of Innocence), Resurrection Walk will see the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, defend another desperate client. Featuring a collaboration with Haller’s brother, Harry Bosch, Resurrection Walk should be an amazing read, and I cannot wait to see what cool shenanigans and heartbreaking character moments Connelly will feature.
Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 14 November 2023
The final upcoming book I want to highlight tonight is the outstanding upcoming historical fiction novel, Rebellion by Simon Scarrow. The latest book in Scarrow’s long-running Eagles of the Empire series (The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor), Rebellion will follow two veteran soldiers as they try to stop the hordes of Boudica’s rebellion. I have had an amazing time with the Eagles of the Empire books over the years and this new book from Scarrow is going to be pretty awesome. The perfect upcoming book to end this list with!
Well that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2023. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.
Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom
Publisher: Zaffre (Trade Paperback – 17 January 2023)
Series: Warrior of Rome – Book Nine
Length: 375 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of the best and most compelling authors of Roman historical fiction, Harry Sidebottom, returns with another outstanding entry in his Warrior of Rome series, Falling Sky.
There are many outstanding authors who specialise in historical fiction set in ancient Rome, however, one of my absolute favourites is the always impressive Harry Sidebottom, who has been dominating the genre for most of my reviewing career. Sidebottom has written some amazing novels over the years, including his Throne of the Caesars trilogy and some excellent standalone novels, like The Lost Ten and The Return. However, my favourite series is his Warrior of Rome novels, which follow the Roman general Ballista, a former barbarian hostage turned Roman nobleman. This series is pretty damn epic and was amongst some of the earlies novels I ever reviewed. His debut novel, Fire in the East, remains one of the best siege novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and the rest of the series is also very impressive and inventive. I have really loved some of his more recent Warrior of Rome books, such as The Last Hour and The Burning Road, and I was very happy to see that Sidebottom was continuing this series with Falling Sky.
AD 265, Gaul. The usurper Postumus has been declared Emperor by his soldiers and has taken control of key territories west of Rome, including Gaul, Germania, Hispania and Britannia. Setting up his capital within Gaul, Postumus hopes to maintain control of his new empire and peacefully coexist with Emperor Gallienus. However, Gallienus wants vengeance for the death of his son at Postumus’s hands and has assembled a massive army to cross the Alps, take back Gaul, and kill his rival.
Amongst the Roman troops gathered to attack Gaul is Ballista, one of Gallienus’s most loyal supporters. Determined to fight one more battle and then retire to Sicily with his family, Ballista finds himself at the forefront of the fight as one of Gallienus’s most able commanders. However, Ballista has a far more troubling problem to deal with than battle. His recent actions in Rome exposed a massive conspiracy to kill Gallienus and install a new Emperor. While he was able to foil the assassination, the leader of the conspiracy remains at large, and Ballista is convinced that it was the Praetorian Prefect Volusianus, the man charged with keeping Gallienus safe.
With no evidence to support his suspicions, all Ballista can do is watch Volusianus and wait for him to slip up. However, Volusianus is aware of Ballista’s suspicions and is determined to kill him before his machinations can be revealed. When Ballista is sent on a dangerous mission deep into enemy territory with a column of cavalry, it represents the perfect opportunity for Volusianus to strike using spies and traitors. However, the greatest threat to Ballista may come from the turning tides of war, as he and his men soon find themselves trapped far behind enemy lines. Pursued by the enemy and surrounded by traitors, can even the legendary Ballista survive both the war and his friends in Rome?
This was another brilliant and captivating historical read from Sidebottom that perfectly continues the Warrior or Rome series with another exciting adventure. Falling Sky is a very thrilling read, and it was one that I was able to finish off quite quickly, especially once I got caught up in its fantastic and fun narrative.
Falling Sky has a very fast-paced narrative that sees the forces of the Emperor Gallienus, including Ballista, return to Gaul (France) to end Postumus’s rebellion and restore the Empire. The initial chapters set the scene brilliantly, as you get reacquainted with Ballista and his recent adventures, as well as some insights into his suspicions around Volusianus’s role in the recent assassination of the emperor. Featuring some great early battle sequences in the Alps, you soon get a great idea of the war to come, especially when you also see some events through the eyes of Postumus and his forces. The centre of the book is dominated by a pivotal major battle sequence with both armies clashing in a brutal series of chapters that really leaves an impression. It also sets the rest of the story up extremely well, as the still suspicious Ballista is sent out on a dangerous mission he isn’t supposed to come back from. This cavalry focused plot dominates the second half of the book and features a great blend of action, historical logistics, and espionage as Ballista tries to keep his troops alive, while a traitor in his ranks works to bring him down by any means necessary. This leads to an excellent final third of the book, when Ballista and his troops are forced to retreat through half of Gaul, while traitors and problems from the protagonist’s past wait for him. This turns into a fantastic chase sequence between enemy regiments, and I really loved how epic and intense it got in places. The entire story wraps up really well, and I had a wonderful time getting through this awesome read.
Falling Sky turned out to be a pretty awesome book, and I loved how Sidebottom set his latest novel out. There was an interesting change of style in Falling Sky from some of his previous novels, as Sidebottom had recently been experimenting with blending different thriller genres with historical settings. Falling Sky, however, represents a more classic historical fiction war novel, with a focus on battles, major recorded events, and the continued growth in Ballista’s character as he becomes more and more disenchanted with Rome. While I had a ton of fun with Sidebottom’s previous unique formats, I also enjoyed him returning to the style from the previous Warrior of Rome novels, with a compelling focus on historical war. The author still does maintain some interesting thriller elements, including the fun espionage moments as Volusianus and the hidden traitors work to take out Ballista. In addition, the thrilling and extensive flight of Ballista and his forces really ratchets up the tension for the end of the novel and I enjoyed how complex and powerful it became, easily resulting in it some of the best parts of the book.
The author’s use of perspective was also pretty effective, especially in the first half of the novel, which sees different chapters told from the point of view of several different key characters, including Ballista, Volusianus, Postumus and Volusianus’s spy in Ballista’s regiment. Alternating point-of-view characters really helped to produce a more extensive and compelling plot, and I loved seeing the countermoves of Ballista and Volusianus, while also getting insights into Postumus’s rebellion. This use of perspective changes towards the end of the novel as there is a much greater focus on Ballista as the primary narrator as he leads his troops in their escape. I appreciated Sidebottom’s decision to mix things up this late in the novel, and it really helped to emphasise just how desperate and compelling this final section of plot truly was. While Falling Sky is part of the larger Warrior of Rome series, it can be read as a standalone novel, especially for any fans of fun historical adventure and military fiction. Sidebottom does an excellent job of quickly recapping necessary information and events from the previous novels throughout Falling Sky, and readers can grasp key connections and details to follow along with the plot. The events of Falling Sky actually fall between the two previous books in the series, The Last Hour and The Burning Road, which was apparently caused by a change in the publishing schedule. That does mean that if you have read The Burning Road in advance of this novel, the stakes of Falling Sky’s plot are slightly reduced. However, I still had a ton of fun with this outstanding novel, and I really enjoyed how Sidebottom wrote the story.
I was also deeply impressed by the historical aspects of Falling Sky, which was one of the book’s strongest features. Sidebottom has always excelled at exploring fantastic aspects of Roman culture and history, and Falling Sky is a pretty good example of this, especially has he closely examined Emperor Gallienus’s second invasion of Gaul in the second half of the 3rd century. This period of Roman history doesn’t get a lot of love from other historical fiction authors, and as a result, Sidebottom’s books always feel quite unique, and I always have a great time learning more about this point of Roman history. Sidebottom really does a good job exploring the origins of the war with Postumus’s Gallic Empire, and it was fascinating to see how this part of the Roman Empire splintered off and managed to hold out against the main Roman army for so long. This results in some deeply intriguing scenes where politics, loyalties and personal ambitions are heavily featured, and a Roman civil war novel always contains some brilliant battles as the two armies utilise similar strategies. Falling Sky also has some outstanding depictions of Gaul and the Alps during this period, especially as the protagonist ends up spending much of the book traversing the landscape at high speed. Not only was it really cool to see historical depictions of so many different parts of modern-day France (the map up front was very useful), but many of these locations served as fantastic backdrops for the vicious battles that emerged.
In addition to cleverly examining the historical backdrop to the narrative, Sidebottom also ensures that his representations of the Roman soldiers and battles were as detailed as possible. You can clearly tell that Sidebottom has done a ton of research when it comes to the depictions of the various soldiers, and you can practically see how they would have marched or engaged in battle. The author’s epic battle scenes are particularly cool to read, and the clashes between the two opposing Roman armies are perfectly showcased, allowing you to fully experience the brutality and carnage. However, the best historical highlight of Falling Sky revolves around the Roman cavalry, which Ballista commanded for much of the book. Sidebottom spends much of book diving into and detailing as many aspects and experiences of the classic Roman cavalry as he can, including their practices, strategies, and general experiences. This comes across extremely well in many scenes of Falling Sky, and it was fascinating to see Ballista get to grips with his new cavalry command and turn them into an effective force. The sheer detail that accompanies the cavalry into every major fight of Falling Sky is very cool and I loved seeing the author’s depictions of how they would have fought and what strategies a commander like Ballista would have utilised in several different scenarios. I had such an amazing time seeing these historical details and more get translated across into a thrilling action novel, and Sidebottom clearly has so much love for all things Roman.
Harry Sidebottom remains one of my absolute favourite authors of Roman historical fiction, especially when it comes to his Warrior of Rome novels. Falling Sky is an outstanding new addition to the series, and I loved its clever war focused plot that saw one of Sidebottom’s best characters leading in compelling circumstances. Loaded with action, espionage, and impressive historical detail, Falling Sky is an amazing book that I had an incredible time reading. Highly recommended to all fans of the historical fiction genre.
Waiting on Wednesday – Rebellion by Simon Scarrow
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 check out an upcoming entry in one of my favourite long-running series, with Rebellion, the next Eagles of the Empire book by Simon Scarrow.
I’m in a real historical fiction mood at the moment, so this seems like the perfect time to look at the next upcoming book from one of my favourite authors, Simon Scarrow. One of the most prolific current authors in the historical fiction genre, Scarrow has been producing exceptional novels for over 20 years and I have long been a fan of his outstanding dives into some of the darkest and most violent periods of history. It’s already been a good year for Scarrow fans, as he released his compelling thriller set in Nazi German, Dead of Night, which I deeply enjoyed. However, Scarrow still has more planned for 2023 as he is continuing his amazing Eagles of the Empire series.
The Eagles of the Empire books are one of the best ancient Roman series I have had the pleasure of reading, especially as it thrusts the reader into the heart of several of the most iconic Roman campaigns in history. Following two grizzled soldiers, Prefect Cato and Centurion Marco as they travel from one bloody battlefield to the next, this series has been a real treat from the very start. I have had a great time reading every book in this series, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor, and all of them have been pretty epic and really fun reads.
As such, I am always excited for that time of the year when Scarrow drops his next Eagles of the Empire book, and that time is nearly now with the next entry, Rebellion, coming out in November 2023. The 22nd novel in the series, Rebellion will follow on in the immediate aftermath of Death to the Emperor, which saw the start of Boudica’s rebellion and the destruction of the protagonist’s home at Camulodunum. Death to the Emperor was one of the stronger recent entries in the series, and I loved how the author left it on a cliffhanger with Marco presumed dead at the hands of the vengeful Boudica. As such, Rebellion should start of very strong and I cannot wait to see how this one turns out.
Plot Summary:
AD 60. Britannia is in turmoil. The rebel leader Boudica has tasted victory, against a force of tough veterans in Camulodunum.
Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it’s terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica’s ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion.
In Londinium there is devastating news. Centurion Macro is amongst those unaccounted for after the massacre at Camulodunum. Has Cato’s comrade and friend made his last stand?
Facing disaster, Cato prepares his next move. Dare he hope that Macro – battle-scarred and fearless – has escaped the bloodthirsty rebels? For there is only one man Cato trusts by his side as he faces the military campaign of his life. And the future of the Empire in Britannia hangs in the balance.
Based on the description above, it looks like Rebellion is going to be a pretty damn epic read. The long-awaited focus on Boudica’s rebellion was always going to be awesome and Scarrow exceeded my expectations with the start in Death to the Emperor. As such, I cannot wait to see how this new novel turns out, especially as there still some big battles to come. If Scarrow keeps up his usual form, it won’t take long for the carnage to begin and I am very excited to see what emerges. I am also very keen to find out the fate of Marco after the last book. While I am not as worried as the author wants me to be, I am still a tad apprehensive, especially as Scarrow did go on a bit of a killing spree in the previous book, so perhaps I’ll be surprised here.
Honestly, due to my very long history with this series and Scarrow’s outstanding writing, there is no way I won’t be getting a copy of Rebellion later this year and I already know I am going to love it. This series has been nothing by awesome for me over the years, and this upcoming book looks set to continue this trend. I cannot wait to see how Rebellion turns out, especially as Scarrow did some outstanding set up in the previous book, and this is easily one of the novels I am most excited about in the second half of 2023.
Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow
Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 14 February 2023)
Series: Berlin Wartime Thriller – Book Two
Length: 422 pages
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
One of my favourite historical fiction authors, the always impressive Simon Scarrow, dives back into turbulent World War II Germany with his latest compelling read, Dead of Night, an excellent and intense historical thriller with a dark twist to it.
Readers of this blog will know that I have long been a fan of Simon Scarrow ever since I read his first exceptional novel many years ago. I particularly enjoy his long-running Eagles of the Empire series, an outstanding adventure series that follows two Roman officers as they travel throughout the empire. The Eagles of the Empire books are some of the best historical fiction I have ever read, and I have had the pleasure of reviewing several of them, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor. Aside from his Roman novels, Scarrow has also written several other series and standalone books set in various periods of history. This includes his 2021 release, Blackout, a gritty and complex murder mystery set in Nazi-controlled Berlin. Blackout was an awesome book, and I was very happy to hear that Scarrow was producing a sequel, Dead of Night, which turned out to be another outstanding read.
Berlin, January 1940. As Germany’s invasion of Poland rolls along, the Nazis continue to take complete control of their own country. While the people of Berlin wait to see how the Allies will retaliate, a mysterious death is about to occur with massive ramifications. A prominent SS doctor and his wife return home, having had a seemingly normal night attending a concert with the Nazi elite of the city. However, by the morning, the doctor will be dead in his study, the result of an apparent suicide.
After his last near-fatal brush with the Nazi state, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke of the Berlin Kripo is determined to simply do his job and stay off the party’s radar. However, when Ruth Frankel, the Jewish woman whose life he saved during his previous investigation, reappears, Horst is once again dragged into unwanted trouble. The dead SS doctor is an old friend of Ruth’s family, and Ruth has promised his widow that she would help find out the truth behind his death, and Horst is her tool to do so.
Reluctantly agreeing to help, Horst looks into the case and quickly realises that the doctor’s death was no suicide. However, his superiors soon pull him off the investigation and forbid him from digging any further. But with his curiosity peaked, Horst cannot turn away, especially when he manages to connect the victim to the mysterious deaths of several children throughout Germany. Determined to find the truth no matter what, Horst soon discovers a terrible secret that places him in the firing line of the entire Nazi party and other volatile factions in the city. Can Horst survive this new case, or will the regime he despises finally take him off the board?
This was an excellent read from Scarrow, who has been on a real roll lately with his awesome books. Dead of Night not only served as an incredible sequel to Blackout, but it also features an intense and historically powerful narrative that had me hooked from the very beginning.
Dead of Night follows several of the same characters from the first book, primarily Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke, who serves as the main protagonist and point of view character, in another intriguing and complex case. Schenke must again work with Ruth Frankel to investigate the apparent suicide of a prominent SS doctor, which produces an intriguing and compelling early investigation storyline that I really enjoyed. However, Schenke soon runs into political problems, as well as threats of violence, which force him to conduct a subtle investigation. At the same time, Schenke’s socially crusading love interest, Karin, requests that he look into the mysterious deaths of several children at a remote medical institute. This second investigation takes up a good chunk of the novel and the protagonists dive into really starts to enhance the intensity of the plot. This is because Scarrow starts to utilise particularly sinister elements of Nazi history in the plot, which ensures that the novel gets fairly dark in tone and content. Scarrow is very subtle in how he brings these elements to the character’s attention, and there is a lot of emotion and disgust that emerges in the story as the protagonists realise what is going on.
From there the two divergent investigations start to come together as subtle clues that the author introduced in the first half of the book are brought to light again. The revelation of how the two cases are connected is pretty captivating, especially as it gives the ‘antagonists’ of the novel a very compelling and relatable motivation. The protagonist is forced to make some hard decisions as they come to terms with just what is going on and this leads to some great scenes about the differences between duty and what is right. Everything leads up to an emotionally charged confrontation which cleverly brings the entire story together and wraps up all the remaining mysteries and character arcs. This final major sequence is pretty damn awesome and it results in some of the most dramatic and powerful moments in the entire novel. I really liked how the entire novel came together at the end, especially as the protagonist is left in several unenviable positions while he watches his country descend further into darkness. I felt that the entire novel was very well paced out, and it doesn’t take long for the readers to get hooked on the story, especially with the two quality mysteries that Scarrow came up with. The blend of mystery, dark historical moments, and intriguing character interactions is pretty perfect, and it works to create a memorable and haunting tale. Combined with some of the great twists, many of which are based around evil parts of real-life history, and I felt that Dead of Night surpassed is predecessor in some very awesome ways
For me, the best thing about Dead of Night was the fantastic and distinctive wartime setting that surrounded the plot. Stories set in Nazi controlled Germany are always intense and dark for obvious reasons, but I felt that Scarrow did a particularly outstanding job of capturing it, especially as he pairs the dark mood with a gritty winter backdrop. Just like with Blackout, there is a focus on the evils of the Nazi regime in Dead of Night, and quite a lot of the plot is devoted to seeing how normal citizens, including non-political police officers, view what their city and country has turned into. There is a good focus on the fear and control that the Nazis blanket the city with, and the investigation angles of the narrative become even more complex and compelling due to the protagonist being constantly blocked by his Nazi and SS superiors. However, the best, or worst, historical elements of the book revolve around one of the cases that Inspector Schenke is dragged into, specifically around the death of several children. This case thrusts the protagonist right into the heart of some of the darkest things the Nazis ever did to their own people, which really gives this entire book a powerfully tragic edge. Scarrow uses this historical inclusion to his full advantage, as not only does it provide an excellent motivation for some of the crimes being committed, but it also increases the emotional conflict of the protagonist. Scarrow really does not hold back when it comes to showcasing these historical horrors and the readers get a full idea of what is going on and the sort of people behind it. This dark historical inclusion really helped to turn Dead of Night’s narrative into something particularly distinctive and captivating, and I felt that Scarrow did a fantastic job of drawing the reader in by giving them knowledge of this terrible moment from history.
I also need to highlight some of the excellent characters featured within Dead of Night, several of whom carry on from the previous novel in the series. Most of the focus is around Inspector Horst Schenke, one of the few senior police officers left in Berlin without a connection to the Nazi Party. Dedicated to the law, Schenke, a man already traumatised by his past, keeps finding it harder and harder to do his job in the new regime. Despite his best efforts, Schenke keeps getting dragged into the middle of the several Nazi plots and hidden schemes, which constantly place him in political danger. I loved the deep conflict that this builds within him as he is forced to choose between ignoring what he discovers, or trying to get justice and doing something. Further complicating matters are his relationships with the two women in his life, his girlfriend, Karin, and the Jewish women he previously saved, Ruth Frankel. Both keep pushing him to do more to oppose the Nazis or get to the truth of crimes they are covering up, and he is forced to balance his desires to help them with his sense of pragmatism while trying to protect them from the Nazis.
Other great characters in this book include Schenke’s police backup, Sergeant Hauser and former Gestapo agent Liebwitz. These two are great supporting characters and they provide interesting counterviews to German life, with Hauser being a more everyman figure, while Liebwitz is bound up by his Gestapo training. Despite the apparent differences between Hauser and Liebwitz, the two work together well and serve as good support to Schenke, and I liked the fun odd-couple team that they formed. They also have some intriguing moments throughout the book, especially when they encounter some of the horrors of the Nazi regime. While Hauser has some great emotional reactions, especially when it comes to the death of children, Liebwitz has the more intriguing responses, as he balances his loyalty to the state with his own past experiences and conscious. Watching him come to terms with some of the evils he witnesses makes for some powerful reading and I am glad that Scarrow added in these intriguing alternate characters. I also really enjoyed the complex main antagonists of the story, as they had quite a powerful motivation for some of the crimes committed in the book. While they are not as noble as they believe, the antagonist’s goal still serves to trouble the protagonist’s sense of justice, and interesting compromises have to be made as a result. I deeply appreciated some of the deep characters that Scarrow featured in this novel and I look forward to seeing how they are utilised in any future books in the series.
Simon Scarrow continues to impress me as one of the best historical fiction authors out there with this incredible new read. Dead of Night has a brilliant and powerful story behind it that takes full advantage of its bleak and historically rich setting. Featuring an outstanding investigation narrative and some dark insights into the horrors of the Nazi regime, Dead of Night will easily grab your attention and ensure you will not forget it anytime soon. A highly recommended novel from one of my favourite authors.
Battle Song by Ian Ross
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (Trade Paperback – 28 March 2023)
Series: Standalone/Book One
Length: 405 pages
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Impressive historical fiction author Ian Ross journeys away from his typical Roman history novels and instead dives into the chaos and glory of medieval England with the outstanding and highly addictive read, Battle Song.
England, 1262. Adam de Norton is a lowly squire with very few prospects to his name. Unable to claim his family’s rightful estates, Adam’s only hope is to be knighted by his lord, which will allow him to win the glory and respect his chivalrous heart believes in. However, his chances of even being noticed by his lord seem slim, and Adam looks set for a life of disappointment until a hunting accident leads him to his new master, the rogue knight Sir Robert de Dunstanville.
Robert de Dunstanville is a man infamous throughout England as a murderous heretic, and his anger, resentment and apparent lack of knightly virtue seem to match his devilish reputation. A keen member of the tournament scene, Robert leads Adam to Europe, where his underhanded strategies and desire for victory over honour, prove to be highly effective. While Adam chafes under the dishonour of his new master and the circumstances that lead them together, he soon discovers that Robert seems to have a far better idea of the realities of his world than he does.
Two years later, Robert leads Adam back to England, determined to take advantage of the chaotic political situation that emerges. The Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort, has declared war against his brother-in-law, King Henry III, and now leads the barons of the realm in a rebellion, aimed at bringing reform and redressing the balance of power in the country. As the country plunges into civil war, Robert and Adam must choose which side will give them the greatest advantage and keep them alive. Soon caught in the middle of a desperate battle for the fate of the kingdom, will this duo get everything they think they deserve, or wind up in a bloody grave?
Ian Ross has written an exceptional and captivating historical adventure in Battle Song that I had an absolutely wonderful time reading. Blending some great characters with an exciting story and intriguing historical detail, Battle Song is one the most thrilling and intense historical novels I have read in a while, and which is worth checking out.
Battle Song has an intense and captivating story that perfectly follows a young knight in training as he finds his destiny and gets embroiled in war. Blending emotional personal growth with an exciting narrative from a great part of history, Ross’s narrative for this book is really addictive, and I had a ton of fun powering through it in a few days. The story starts off great with a very strong introduction to protagonist Adam de Norton, a minor squire overlooked in life who still believes in the knightly virtues. After a violent brawl shows his true raging potential, Adam is drafted into the service of Robert de Dunstanville, a bastard knight with a severe grudge against the king, who drags Adam to Europe for a run at the knightly tournaments. The initial part of the book is really good as it sets up the story and the key politics of England, while also serving as an invaluable introduction to main characters. I loved the early friction between Adam and Robert, which really helps to showcase the differences between their world views and ensures that there is some intriguing personal conflict between them throughout the book.
Ross dedicates a good chunk of the plot to following Adam, Robert and their companions, on an extended romp through the European tournaments, which are so damn fun. The various scenes depicting the harshness of the tournaments, including the infamous melee, are some of my favourites in the book, and the author’s depiction of the chaotic violence and sheer unpredictability really appealed to me. At the same time, this book serves as a good learning experience for the protagonist as Adam learns the realities of being a knight as he experiences love, betrayal and begins a deadly rivalry. Ross also uses this part of the story to further dive into the start of the conflict between Simon de Montfort, as Robert meets and plots with the exiled Earl while in Europe and begins to weigh his options.
The second half of Battle Song is set back in England as Adam and Robert return home, determined to take part in the civil war to come, even if they don’t know which side to choose. This half of the novel is pretty damn intense as Ross really dives into the intriguing and dark history of the period in some great ways. The narrative drags the protagonists into some of the key events of the period, including riots, a dangerous siege, and several minor conflicts, as they watch the King and Simon de Montfort fight for control of the country. This part of the book is also well layered with the personal concerns of Adam and Robert, as Adam faces a hopeless romance while witnessing some of the most vicious elements of war, while Robert continues to battle his conscience, inner-hate and survival instincts to come out on top. There are some pretty epic scenes here and I deeply enjoyed how Ross balanced out the historical detail with the deeper part of his story. The characters all go through setbacks, growth, and dark moments as the plot proceeds, and the reader gets caught up in their personal tales. The battles themselves are really impressive, as Ross captures the sheer chaos of war and Adam learns what it is to kill. I really appreciated Ross’s use of Adam as the main point-of-view character for this second half of the battle, not only because his position allows a great view of all the key historical moments, but because you see a more impassioned take on events which gives the entire narrative some great heart. Everything leads up to the big final battle, which Ross covers perfectly, showcasing it as a metal meatgrinder of knight-on-knight combat. There are some outstanding moments in these final pages, especially as several character arcs and storylines are cleverly finished, and I was deeply intrigued to see how the entire conflict came together. Ross leaves everything on a satisfying conclusion and Battle Song ends up serving a particularly epic and brilliantly self-contained standalone read, which does have some potential to be continued in the future. I deeply enjoyed this exceptional story and it was so damn addictive in places.
One of the best highlights of Battle Song is the way that Ross expertly portrays the historical period in which the book is set. I loved the depictions of England and Europe in the 13th century featured throughout Battle Song, and Ross has a lot of fun showcasing the people, culture and politics of the people at the time. There is a particular focus on the lives and experiences of the knightly classes as the book as shown through the eyes of a lowly squire experiencing them for the first time. As such, you get a great idea of what it is to be both a knight and a squire as Adam grows into both roles while watching his master and peers in action. There are some great discussions about the how knights act in life, and I loved how Ross examined how the realities of this compared to the romanticized notions of chivalry and honour that Adam had been fed growing up. Naturally some of the best parts of the historical elements of Battle Song fall amongst the tournaments and battles that were such an amazing feature of the story. Ross really dives into the nitty gritty detail of the tournaments, and I loved seeing the tactics and practicalities of big events like the joust and the melee. It was also very interesting to see how these skills then translated across to the battlefield and the similarities and differences between the two proved to be deeply fascinating. Ross really went out of his way to highlight the gritty and brutal nature of both the tournament melee and the battlefield throughout Battle Song, and I loved the high-intensity action scenes that emerged as a result. Battle Song honestly some of the best historical battle sequences that I had seen for a while, and I found myself getting even further dragged into the story thanks to that.
In addition, I really enjoyed the compelling and impressive examination of the events of Simon de Montfort’s rebellion in 1264, one of England’s lesser-known civil wars. The entirety of Battle Song is set around this war, and Ross really good job of showcasing the politics and the events leading up to the rebellion as Adam and Robert witness his plotting during their tournament days. The second half of the book then examines the resulting war in high detail as the protagonists find themselves dragged into several key battles and incidents of this war, including the siege of Rochester and the decisive battle of Lewes. The author does an outstanding job showcasing these battles as he looks at how they came about, what happened during them, and the resulting impacts it had on the war. At the same time, Ross also tries to examine some of the key historical figures involved in this conflict, and it was very interesting to see the protagonists interact with them. Ross initially paints this war as a battle for rights against the king, with de Montfort trying to rally the nobles behind his leadership. However, rather than showing this as a purely noble affair, Ross also highlights some of the darker aspects of de Montfort’s campaign, including the infamous purge against the Jewish population of London at the start of the rebellion, which honestly was some of the darkest and most intense moments in the entire book. I deeply appreciated this complex examination of the history, especially the prejudice against the Jews, and it painted both sides in morally ambiguous tones that fit the two protagonists. Ross clearly has a real talent for portraying fascinating moments from history, and I had an outstanding time learning more about this unique and captivating period.
I was also quite impressed by the characters featured within Battle Song as Ross introduces the reader to an outstanding cast of both original characters and notable figures out of history. The main protagonists are the duo of Adam de Norton, a poor squire who serves as the book’s point of view character, and Robert de Dunstanville, a blackhearted knight with a low opinion of the world around him. Both characters are intriguing as they represent very different ends of the knightly spectrum. Adam starts the book as a naïve squire who believes in honour and duty, even after years of being overlooked by his lord. Robert, on the other hand, is a far more devious and jaded being. A bastard with no lands of his own, Robert is upset about royal rulings made against him and takes out his anger in the tournaments, where his cunning tactics allow him to achieve many victories. These two characters are polar opposites to begin with, however, they both start to influence the other in different ways. Adam starts to become a little more cynical, wiser, and learns how to survive in this harsh world, eventually becoming a competent and dangerous warrior. Robert on the other hand starts to soften as they grow closer, and the protagonist finds out that there is far more to Robert than he lets the rest of the world see. These two play off each other, and the rest of the extended cast, extremely well, and I loved the complex mentor-mentee relationship that emerged. These two are definitely the heart of the story, and I deeply enjoyed their compelling storylines, especially as they both experience hopeless romances, loss, disappointment, intense rivalries, betrayal and moments of glory as they journey towards the conclusion of the book. The rest of the cast supports the story nicely, and I loved some of the interactions that emerged, as well as the clever mixture of real people from history and original characters invented for the narrative. These great characters and their unique stories deeply enhance the quality of Battle Song and its powerful story and I was very impressed by how well Ross set them out.
With its outstanding blend of historical detail, amazing protagonists, and an intense and powerful narrative, Battle Song is a brilliant and epic read that I had such an incredible time reading. Ian Ross produced such a great read here and this was one of the more exciting and entertaining historical fiction novels I have read all year. Battle Song is a highly recommended historical fiction novel that is really worth checking out.
The Unseen Library 