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  • Published: 3 October 2011
  • ISBN: 9781409051770
  • Imprint: Preface Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 432
Categories:

Sworn Sword




An ambitious young Norman soldier fights against desperate odds to consolidate the conquest of England in the years after the Battle of Hastings. Brilliant first novel in the mould of Requiem by Robyn Young.

January 1069. Less than three years have passed since Hastings and the death of the usurper, Harold Godwineson. In the depths of winter, two thousand Normans march to subdue the troublesome province of Northumbria. Tancred a Dinant, an ambitious and oath-sworn knight and a proud leader of men, is among them, hungry for battle, for silver and for land.

But at Durham the Normans are ambushed in the streets by English rebels. In the battle that ensues, their army is slaughtered almost to a man. Badly wounded, Tancred barely escapes with his life. His lord is among those slain.

Soon the enemy are on the march, led by the dispossessed prince Eadgar, the last of the ancient Saxon line, who is determined to seize the realm he believes is his. Yet even as Tancred seeks vengeance for his lord's murder, he finds himself caught up in secret dealings between a powerful Norman magnate and a shadow from the past.

As the Norman and English armies prepare to clash, Tancred begins to uncover a plot which harks back to the day of Hastings itself. A plot which, if allowed to succeed, threatens to undermine the entire Conquest. The fate of the Kingdom hangs in the balance ...

  • Published: 3 October 2011
  • ISBN: 9781409051770
  • Imprint: Preface Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 432
Categories:

About the author

James Aitcheson

James Aitcheson was born in Wiltshire and studied History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he developed a special interest in the Middle Ages. He is particularly interested in the Anglo-Saxon period and the Norman Conquest, a time of tremendous change that proved to be one of the biggest turning points in English history. Sworn Sword is his first novel, and the first in his Conquest series. Set three years after the Battle of Hastings, it tells the story of the great English rebellion as seen through the eyes of one of the invaders, an ambitious and oath-sworn knight named Tancred. The sequel,The Splintered Kingdom, picks up Tancred’s tale one year later as the Normans’ grip on England is tested to breaking point. Knights of the Hawk sees Tancred and his allies venturing beyond English shores for the first time.

Also by James Aitcheson

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Praise for Sworn Sword

Vibrant and authentic. Rarely have I been so transported into the world of the medieval knight, and his environs. In short, Sworn Sword is an excellent read, full of intrigue and vivid, realistic battles. For new writers of historical fiction, this accomplished debut novel sets a high standard indeed.

Ben Kane, author of the bestselling Forgotten Legion Chronicles

Fans of the sword-swinging drama still mourning the end of HBO's epic Game of Thrones will find plenty to love in this uncompromising slice of historical fiction ... Breathlessly paced and packed with action, it's a mightily accomplished debut in a major new series

ShortList

A fantastic novel ... utterly convincing ... The plot is superb, clever and as true to the sources as is possible ... a brilliant achievement

Dr Elisabeth van Houts, Emmauel College, Cambridge

The setting and historical detail are superb and there is more than enough excitement to keep you hooked to the final page

New Books

Action packed, this is the first in a promising series, set in a fascinating period

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