Review: Blood's Game by Angus Donald

Synopsis: London, Winter 1670. Holcroft Blood has entered the employ of the Duke of Buckingham, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom after the king. It is here that his education really begins. With a gift for numbers and decoding ciphers, Holcroft soon proves invaluable to the Duke, but when he's pushed into a betrayal he risks everything for revenge. 

His father, Colonel Thomas Blood, has fallen on hard times. A man used to fighting, he lives by his wits and survives by whatever means necessary. When he's asked to commit treason by stealing the crown jewels, he puts himself and his family in a dangerous situation - one that may end at the gallows. As the machinations of powerful men plot to secure the country's future, both father and son must learn what it is to survive in a more dangerous battlefield than war - the court of King Charles II.

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I adore the character of Colonel Thomas Blood - so who could not reciprocate with his offspring!

A riotous adventure at the time of the Restoration of King Charles II (c.1670s). It is the story of both Colonel Thom Blood and his offspring, Holcroft Blood.  Angus Donald's narrative is fresh, exciting and always action-packed; his characters walk on the wild-side of life, and can be both detestable and likeable at the same time.

This is a period I am delving more into as a reader, and one that I am enjoying immensely. This will not be my last foray and I am looking forward to further exploits in the upcoming books - "Blood' s Revolution and Blood's Campaign.

Note: I read and reviewed this for both Goodreads and NetGalley back in 2020 and since then, have added all three books to my own personal library.

Review: The Loki Sword by Angus Donald

Synopsis: An ancient blade, fit for the gods but tainted with a deadly curse. Bjarki Bloodhand has finally managed to subdue his gandr, the spirit that gives him the ferocity of a bear in battle. Yet losing his berserker prowess may leave him at the mercy of his foes.

Meanwhile, his half-sister, the shield maiden Tor Hildarsdottir, has slain two warriors from the personal retinue of the new Jarl of Norrland – and now faces brutal reprisals for their deaths.

Valtyr Far-Traveller claims he has a solution to their problems: a long voyage south to the wild Slav lands to find a fabled lost sword said to once belong to the Norse trickster god.

The journey will prove more perilous than anything Bjarki or Tor has ever attempted before. Can all three heroes hope to survive the desperate hunt for... The Loki Sword?

This third instalment in the Fire Born saga sees our intrepid trio - Bjarki, Tor and Valtyr - go in search of the famed Loki Sword. The epic takes place around Silesia and Prussia, with their enemies - the Black Cloaks - or Franks, hard on their heels at every turn. Will our adventurers and their motley band succeed in their quest or fall victim to betrayal and conspiracy?

As usual, Angus Donald imbues his books in the history and mythology of the period, creating an insight into 8th Century northern European world, whilst at the same time, propelling (and projecting) the reader, full body, into the story.

Review: The Last Berserker by Angus Donald

Synopsis: 771AD, Northern Europe. An epic battle for the soul of the North.

Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary berserkir: the elite frenzied fighters of the North.

One Christian king Karolus, newly crowned King of the Franks, has a thorn in his side: the warlike Saxon tribes on his northern borders who shun the teachings of the Church, blasphemously continuing to worship their pagan gods.

The West’s greatest warlord vows to stamp out his neighbours’ superstitions and bring the light of the True Faith to the Northmen – at the point of a sword. It will fall to Bjarki, Tor and the men and women of Saxony to resist him in a struggle for the fate of all Europe.

Another in a great line up of "hero quest" historical fiction that is set in the Northern Hemisphere - particularly Scandinavia - from the 8th -11th centuries. So if you are a fan of Matthew Harffy's A Time for Swords and Tim Hodkinson's Whale Road Chronicles, this this one is for you.

Recently outlawed Bjarki Bloodhand suddenly finds himself on the road in the company of shield-maiden Torfinna Hildarsdottir and the mysterious Valtyr Far-Traveller, Their destination is not certain as they head towards the Dane-mark of King Siegfried. For war is looming with the Franks under the charismatic leader Karolus. However, as both display traits of the Rekkr, it is to the mysterious and sacred groves of Irminsul to find out if they have what takes to be a true Rekkr (or Berserker).

There are - of course - many adventures and battles along the way as our intrepid duo find themselves at odds not only with Charlemange but also the new religion - Christianity - which is establishing a firm foothold.  Throughout, both struggle to find and harness the power of their "gandr" or warrior totem spirit.  Will they find this inner strength in time to save the north from the Frankish incursions or will they be too late ...

Love the historical context that the author then treats us to at the end - I always like to know - apart from the obvious - where they draw their inspiration from and if based on real life events. And for those wishing to delve into this genre and the sagas of the Scandinavians, you may find certain parallels in the story of Beowulf or the saga of Bodvar Bjarki.

A great start to what promises to be the first in a new action-adventure series.