Thursday 23 May 2013

HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: The Bleeding Land 2: Brothers' Fury - Giles Kristian

Release Date: 23/05/13
Publisher:  Bantam

SYNOPSIS:

Rebel Cast out from his home, rejected by his family, Tom Rivers returns to his regiment. But his commander believes the young hothead's recklessness and contempt for authority has no place in his troop. But to a spymaster like Captain Crafte, Tom's dark and fearless nature is in itself a weapon to be turned upon the hated Cavaliers - who else would dare to infiltrate Oxford, now the Royalist capital, to destroy the King's printing press and strike a blow at the very heart of the enemy?

Renegade Raw with grief at the death of his father, Edmund Rivers rejects the peace talks between Parliament and the King. He chooses instead to lead a hardened band of marauders across the moors, appearing out of the frozen world to fall on unsuspecting rebel columns like wolves. But Prince Rupert - recognising in Mun a fellow child of war - has other plans for him, from stealing a colossal gun, to tunneling beneath the walls of Lichfield. The only peace the enemy will get from Mun Rivers is that of the grave.

Huntress Her heart broken following the deaths of her beloved Emmanuel and her father, Bess Rivers takes the hardest decision of her life: to leave her new-born son and depart Sheer House in search of the one person who might help her re-unite what is left of her broken family. Risking her own life on the road, Bess will do whatever it takes to find her brother Tom and secure his Royal pardon, but can she douse the flames of her brothers' fury and see them reconciled?



REVIEW:

I love a journey into the past and getting to live in history alongside heroes that you wish had existed in times of peril that shaped the nation and perhaps, as far as Britain is concerned, one of the most startling times was during the English Civil War when brother fought brother, father fought son and whole families were torn asunder as the Roundheads fought the Cavaliers.

To this arena, Giles began a saga that places his lead characters family in just such a situation as they fight for their leaders under separate banners with familial bonds being pulled and torn with various struggles. It’s a story of heartrending proportions, a story that taps into the readers emotions and with Giles’ usual style of graphically written combat backed up with dialogue that works wonderfully all round makes this a book to sit down to and lose oneself.

Add to this a very strong story arc, great prose and all round I had a lot of fun with this title. I can’t wait to see what the next part has in stall for all concerned.




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