An absolutely superb second instalment of the Leopards of Normandy trilogy, by David Churchill. It starts directly after the events which drew a close to its predecessor, Devil.
Bouncing between Normandy, England, Flanders, & Paris (or thereabouts), Churchill does a fantastic job of keeping the reader engrossed in each regions’ power struggles, subtly hinting at the bigger picture which will inevitably tie them all together with each step William takes towards his destiny.
As it is historical fiction, the facts are skewed somewhat to fit Churchill’s story (stated by the author himself in the afterword), but this is due to the lack of source material available nearly 1000 years later rather than laziness by the writer.
What I love most about the novel is that, like book 1, it’s main purpose (in my opinion) is to finely balance fact and fiction in an effort to inform and entertain the reader, which I think Churchill has achieved.
The characters are well written, each arc (although swift at times) flows pretty well, and there’s an eclectic mix of action and intrigue which will have you struggling to put the book down.
I look forward to reading book 3 involving a battle that’s quite famous… 😉
Thoroughly recommend!!!!
Graeme J Greenan 