Sharon Reviews: The Pawns of Sion by Scott R Rezer

The author kindly has kindly donated an e-book copy as a giveaway. Just leave a comment at the bottom of the blog or on our Facebook page.

The winner will be drawn on Tuesday 19th January 2016

The Leper King is dead. His sister, Countess Sibylla, longs to return to the convent and leave the crown in the hands of her young son. But when the boy suddenly dies, the Order of Sion forces Sibylla to become queen and crown her estranged husband, Guion de Lusignan as king. Meanwhile, a squire named Ernoul discovers that a woman attending his sick mother in the Hospital of Saint-John is the beloved saint, Mary Magdalen, and that he is the illegitimate son of a powerful lord. As the Order of Sion regains strength and the kingdom moves ever closer to war with Salehdin, Mary seeks out the hiding place of the lost Cup of Christ… but is it the end of a long quest or a trap set by the enemy to destroy her?

At first glance The Pawns of Sion looks like a straightforward story about the politics and rivalries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. But once you start reading, you discover the novel delves deeper than you'd ever thought possible. Scott R. Rezer has created a story which merges two realms, that of man and that of the angels. The war between Salehdin and the Christians runs parallel with the greater, age-old battle of good versus evil. The author has cleverly interwoven the two realms in a deep, intense book. The plot is detailed and unveiled in layers the deeper into the book you get.

Set in the years immediately before the Third Crusade, the action moves fast and furious from the death of King Baldwin V, through the behind-the-scenes manipulations of the the Order of Sion and the Magdalen's attempts to stop them, while Salehdin takes advantage of the deep divisions revealed among the Christian lords. And underlying it all is the centuries-long search for the Holy Grail....

I found The Pawns of Sion both fascinating and intriguing. It looks deeper into the origins of Christianity than other Crusader novels and the age-old battle of good against evil mirrors the irreconcilable differences of the Christian and Muslim combatants. There is the occasional missing word in the text, but this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. The author knows how to evoke the reader's sympathy - or distaste - for particular characters. You find yourself rooting for the good guys.

The full depth of the story is slowly  revealed - each revelation releasing a new feature of the plot. And as each new secret is disclosed, it adds a little explanation to the motives and desires of the protagonists.

The language is, at times, haunting, drawing aside the veils between the realm of the natural world and that of the spiritual, giving the reader a sense of the surreal:

....Her magic shrank from the shadow of his evil rather than endure its touch.
"Did you think you could defeat me with so little a thing as the death of your beloved daughter?"
"You have no place here, Simon," she hissed, ignoring his taunt. She drew a thin silver blade from the belt beneath her cloak. The rasping sound of metal upon metal overwhelmed the silence of the wood. "You never have."
"Your words wound me, Mariamne," said Amalric de Lusignan. "Why must we continually bicker when we might become friends?"
She walked towards him, sword on shoulder, shedding her immortal glamour and taking on a semblance men knew....

 


As with many people, the Knights Templar have always held me in awe and although they are not the heroes of the story, their Grand Master Gerard de Ridefort is one of the leading characters. The author makes good use of the known protagonists of the time, weaving his story around their lives and the events that shaped the Holy Land and its politics at the time. Each character is imbued with the qualities passed down by history.

Balian d'Ibelin is the good, noble knight, whose integrity is beyond question. Guion (Guy) de Lusignan is the weak, easily manipulated, indecisive king, while his wife, Sybilla, is the pawn he uses to gain power. Then there's the young Ernoul, a fictional character who struggles to come to terms with his destiny. The historical characters are intermingled with the fictional ones, allowing the writer to create his own story within the historical record.

The characters are brought to life in the hot, arid backdrop of the Holy Land in the second half of 12th century. The author has recreated the Medieval Near East vividly, cleverly evincing the heat, the dust and the thirst, in the reader's mind.

Although I found the duality of the story confusing at first, it didn't take me long to find myself totally immersed in the concept, and in the general story itself. I like the depth of the story; the first few chapters reveal a complexity to the politics and religion of the Holy Land of the time. Individual stories are expertly woven together to make one great tapestry; a tapestry depicting the disasters befalling Outremer which would eventually lead to the launch of the Third Crusade. And behind it all are the origins of Christianity itself, the fight for good against evil and the search for the greatest relic, the Holy Grail.

It's going to be very interesting, to see how this story continues in Book 3.

Scott R. Rezer was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1963. He met his wife and best friend while serving in the U.S. Air Force. They have two grown children and live in the Southwest. He is an indie published author of four historical fiction novels ranging from the Civil War to the Crusades to ancient history. Two of his books have garnered Editor's Choice selections by the Historical Novel Society (The Leper King and Shadow of the Mountain).

As a maintenance technician in the U.S. Air Force, he worked on an aging, outdated nuclear missile system of questionable safety. He believes he may have unwittingly been exposed to radioactive material that altered his DNA and gave him his writing ability -- well, maybe not. It could be he simply acquired his ability from his grandmother who was a local historian and writer. He could never ask her a simple question without hearing her say with a wink, "Go look it up." In so doing, she managed to instill in him a love of history and a wonderful sense of discovery that have stuck with him ever since.

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Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years. She has studied history academically and just for the joy of it – even working as a tour guide at historical sites. She is now having great fun passing on that love of the past to her 10-year-old son. Having received a blog, History...The Interesting Bits as a present for Christmas 2014 she is also enjoying sharing her obsession of history with her readers.

Rob Reviews: Varangian - King of the Norse: Volume 2 by Stuart G. Yates

The author of this book has kindly offered a copy of the book to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance to win, just leave a comment below or on our Facebook page

"Hardrada aided me in Scicily, don't forget that."
"And still you put him behind bars. There is no love lost between you, that is certain."
"The man has ambitions. he has grown tired of Byzantium and needs to find his own way, have songs sung about him, not us. He cannot be trusted."
"Yet he did vanquish the Scythians. Without his influence, the Varangians would never have come and crushed those heathen dogs, and Michael would still rule."
Mankiakes studied the dregs of his wine, declining to answer or lend support to the holy man's words.



Stuart Yates’ brilliant Varangian left us at a crossroads regarding the Byzantine throne; the perverse and tyrannical Michael V had been deposed and Harald Sigurdsson and his Varangians had proved their usefulness in helping oust the incumbent and defeat his Scythian Bodyguards. If Harald thought for a moment that this has improved his position at court he was sadly mistaken.

Nature abhors a vacuum and with Michael blinded and exiled and his backers removed, those with the mutual cause of plotting his downfall begin to pick at the bonds that tied each to the other. This is Byzantium – New Rome - a city of political intrigue and deceit. Those who once were useful tools now become threats to be disposed of, while those once ignored become pawns to be moved on the shadowed chess board.

Layer upon layer of plots, deceit and double dealings abound, as different factions scheme; allowing us (the readers) to reacquaint ourselves with characters met in Varangian including the Patriarch Alexius, General Maniakes and his ex-lover and hand maiden to Zoe – Leoni.  Those who deposed Emperor Michael now are the subject of plots against themselves, as others attempt to pull the strings of the would be puppet masters. Despite her best efforts Leoni is denied a semblance of a normal life as she is dragged back into the intrigue – but she has guile and weapons of her own honed during her time at court. The attractions of sex, wealth and power, are an intoxicating brew for all the characters and will lead once more to betrayal and murder.

Meanwhile as Byzantium looks within itself threats grow on the borders of the Empire as Bulgars and Normans grow increasingly bold in their hunger for Imperial lands. But even these incursions could prove useful to those with thoughts of ambition or revenge.

Harald has grown tired of the constant plotting of the Byzantine court; he now wishes to secure his treasure, earned during his time as commander of the Varangian guard, and head homeward to secure the throne of Norway for himself. To get his treasure he has to get past the machinations of his one-time lover, the vengeful Empress Zoe. To succeed he will have to become as sly as those he despises and play along with those who would underestimate both his intelligence and his ruthlessness…

About the Author

Originally from Wallasey, Merseyside, Stuart waited 35 years before getting a degree at university

and embarking on a career in teaching. He's been writing since the age of 12 and was finally published in 2009. Not wishing to be pigeon-holed, Stuart writes the kind of stories he would wish to read himself, in a variety of genres including historical fiction, thrillers, horror and westerns.

Rob Bayliss is a reviewer at The Review and is currently writing his own fantasy series. Information on his writing projects can be found at Flint & Steel, Fire & Shadow.

The Search for Ethan By Robert Cowan - Reviewed by Robert Southworth

Luckily for us, the author is offering 2 ebook copies of The Search for Ethan to be drawn on the Sunday 3rd of January. Just leave a comment on the blog below or on our Facebook page.

Robert Southworth! I hear you cry, how can it be that you are reviewing a book that has neither a musket nor toga in sight?  Well the clue is in the blurb…

'A gritty contemporary drama, brimming with dark humour. Two typical teenage lives are transformed after a night of hallucinogenic experimentation, when the subsequent bad trip spills into their real lives with tragic consequences. A desperate but comically bizarre search for redemption begins, with help from an unlikely source.'

   I have to admit, that dark humour is a weakness of mine.  However, enough of my weaknesses, and onto the novel. The Search for Ethan is a modern tale, indeed many of us could recognise many of the characters from our hometown or even dare I say it, out own family. The book itself has a number of main characters and switches to and fro between each of their points of views as varying catastrophes erupt. It’s an interesting style of writing, one of which I have never been a great fan but I have to admit, that within this novel it really works and only serves to enhance the storyline. A point on the storyline, this book does not throw you headlong into it straight away. For me, and others may think differently it places the characters first, as a grand master positions his chess pieces before moving in for check mate. This being the case, a reader may ask, well the writing’s brilliant, the characters a joy but where is the story? Trust me, just as you are thinking this, the novel shifts up a gear, and the tale erupts from the pages.
   Now I feel I have to discuss the characters. I have no hesitation in declaring this book my favourite of 2015 when it comes to the creation of characters. Vibrant and colourful in terms of the people themselves and the language used they are a triumph for the writer and a joy for the reader to experience. My personal favourite is Margo,  mother of one of the main characters. Everything about her should make you squirm and cause an instant dislike but in truth in many ways I see her as a hero of the book, others may see it differently. Here we have a quote from the book as Margo searches for the man who has led her son astray (warning strong language).

 “Fuck! What!?What?”
“Where the fuck is Ian dick head?!”
“I don’t fucking know do I.”
Margo began opening drawers until she found what she was looking for. Weasel’s breath abruptly stopped as the blade made contact with the base of his already tender penis.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…” muttered Weasel dementedly.
“Oh fuck indeed…” replied Margo with the calmness of the end game and certain victory.

As you can see this is not a children’s book. That said, the language is colourful but in keeping with the characters and storyline. The novel addresses complex issues with sensitivity and dark humour, and a great deal of skill by the author. There are no good and bad guys as such, but as in real life most of the characters are capable of positive and negative acts in equal measure, and sometimes great stupidity.

“You’ve killed him,” she whispered.
“Indeed I have,” he replied, his voice tinged with pride.
“Oh my God, what have you done?”
“Eh? Saved your life that’s what I’ve done. I’m a fucking hero.”
The girl started screaming and Stevie heroically, punched her in the mouth…

To summarize I would say the book is something different, and hard to categorize in its approach to the telling of a story. The reader is at the same time mesmerised, delighted and repulsed by the behaviour of some of its main protagonists. As my reviewing is set to come to end for this year, I have no hesitation in declaring this book by Robert Cowan, has been my favourite read of 2015. Its unusual style and brilliant characters have been a joy, and an education for a fellow writer.

About the Author

Robert Cowan lives in a small town in Scotland with his family and a couple of cats. He has always had a love for music and whilst studying for a degree in mechanical engineering bought a drum kit. Despite not making it in the music business the author continued to want to express himself and turned to writing. The Search For Ethan is his debut. A second novel 'Daydreams and Devils' has also been recently published.

You can learn more at http://robertcowanbooks.com/

Robert Southworth is the author of his Spartacus novels.  Robert can be found on 

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Alaric reviews: The Book of Zev by Marilyn Horowitz

The author kindly has kindly donated a hardback book and 2 e-books as prizes. To be in with the chance of winning simply comment here on the Blog or on our Facebook page

The Book of Zev is all about questions, chances, and changes. We must constantly ponder what we are and what we will be, or should be. We have lost chances, chances that come that we never notice; chances we take, and the changes we must face as a result of all of them. Life grinds us through many paths, some unkind, others we love. In The Book of Zev, you can easily relate to the ones in the lives of Sarah and Zev. You could also say the book is also about religion, what man makes of gods and beliefs, how religion makes us stronger or weaker, and how perhaps there is a spark of righteousness even in those of us who do not worship or who doubt their beliefs. It’s also a very clever political thriller with well-crafted, real characters.

Sarah is a Jewish kosher chef, struggling with disappointments and her questions about religion. She is feeling lost because of her divorce and her past choices, and deals with the issues with yoga and alcohol. There is another troubled soul, Zev, also a Jew, who is not sure where he belongs in life and the Jewish community; and what his purpose in life truly might be. But when he meets Sarah, he also finds a promise of stability for him. Both Sarah and Zev find some answers and comfort in Gwydion, their guide, and it is through this man they find common ground. There will be challenges, and a purpose for both.

There is the change.

Sarah meets a powerful man from her past, a dangerous man she once was, and still is, in love with, so things get complicated because their relationship is something that is frowned upon by their respective societies. The relationship becomes an opportunity to stop the man from doing something monstrous and wrong. Ultimately, confused but brave, Sarah and the suffering Zev have to decide if they will stand together against what is inhuman, even if it means betraying trust, love, and risking their lives. The lost souls find that despite the open questions and lost chances, they can make a real change in life still.

The characters are the meat of the story. They are very real, and one can easily relate to their lives. The personalities have flaws, severe flaws, and a genuine wish to be better, almost to be a child again, when everything was simpler. The story starts slowly, and that’s ok, because it is building the personalities, letting us inch into their lives making us care for them, and fear for the danger they will face.

The story flowed well. It is soft and at first purposefully sneaks forward, and then grows powerful and meaningful, right when it should. It’s a very good political thriller with very real, troubled people you will root for. For example, how could you not like Zev, who, upon hearing Sarah’s voice,
thinks that is how Moses must have felt when the Red Sea parted?

About the author

Marilyn Horowitz is an award-winning New York University professor, author, producer, and Manhattan-based writing coach, who works with successful novelists, produced screenwriters, and award-winning filmmakers.

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 Alaric Longward is a dad, a husband and an aspiring writer who creates fiction, fantasy adventure and drama. You can find more about him and his books at his official pages and his Amazon author page.