Fire & Steel - King's Bane 1 by C R May - Reviewed by Rob Bayliss

The author has kindly offered a paperback copy for the draw and an ebook copy for the runner-up. To enter please leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Cerdic chuckled. “I think you underestimate your influence, all men of worth have heard the tale of Eofer king’s bane. Tell your prince of my plans here and remember,” he said, “there is always a place for you among us.” The Briton laid a hand on Eofer’s sleeve and fixed him with his gaze. “I offer you good land and honour, king’s bane. Dark soil in which to sink your roots. Settle your family here among us and I will make you one of my most powerful lords.”

 Since reading Brennus – Terror Gallicus for the Review by this author, and thoroughly enjoying his style of blending the fantastic and historical accuracy I went on to read his Beowulf -Sword of Woden trilogy and was awestruck by them. Indeed I nominated Sorrow Hill (Book 1) as my Book of the Month last year. So when the author, Mr May, mentioned that he was developing a historical fiction series using Eofer Kingsbane, a minor but nonetheless heroic character from his Beowulf books, I was intrigued. With Beowulf of course we have the tap root of English fantasy literature, and Mr May made full use of the fantastic enabling gods to walk the earth. How was the author going to use the king’s bane and where would his tale take us?

Firstly, who is Eofer King's bane? He is a warrior, renowned in the north for slaying the Swedish king Ongentheow at the battle of Ravenswood. Eofer is of the Engles (Angles) whose homeland is in modern Denmark; sandwiched between the Jutes to the north, the Saxons to the south and threatened by the expansionist Danes to the east. The Angles, Jutes and Saxons, since Roman times, have long been involved in the politics of Britannia to the west. They have sailed there as mercenaries, traders and lately as settlers. The exploits of the British warlord Arthur put paid to further expansion in these fertile lands; but since his recent death, civil war has rent the old Romano-British land and opportunities are rising once more.

C6th Century Saxon Warriors. Painting by Angus McBride.

It is the early C6th and we first meet Thegn Eofer and his ship’s crew plying the German Sea and the Mare Britannicum. He and his hearth warriors are hired by a British chief Cerdic to take him and his small war band of exiles from Brittany back to Britannia. Eofer and his warriors assist Cerdic in defeating an ambush set against their advance. Impressed by his ally’s martial prowess Cerdic, has a sense of destiny and offers Eofer lands and position should he chose to accept them. Eofer is not only given this offer but also increases his retinue by adding the shield maiden Spearhafoc- a young British archer - into his hearth troop. With the loss of his ships to Cerdic’s enemies, Eofer and his comrades travel overland to Anglia in the east, where the Englisc have a tenuous foothold. On their way they pass The Ringing Stones (Stonehenge) where  the superstitious Spearhafoc performs a ritual and becomes convinced that Eofer has a destiny to carve in Britannia. Eofer, already persuaded by Cerdic's offer takes this as a further sign that his Wyrd (fate) will lead him back to Britannia; that the future of his people does indeed lay in this fertile land. But first he must convey his belief to his king and there are the not so small matters of honour that must be settled in old Engeln….

 Scholars of the period will recognise the name Cerdic as the founder of the Cerdicings - the House of Wessex - and will have pondered why the royal house of an Anglo-Saxon “invader” would have a British name. Some historians, such as Peter Beresford Ellis in his informative, but politically biased, book called Celt & Saxon took the traditional picture of warlike and expansionist Englisc invaders to the next level of being genocidal, ethnic-cleansing invaders. Certainly there was bloody warfare between Englisc and Wealisc (both were hero societies after all) but many place names in England carry a Brittonic root describing a geographical feature suggesting a continuity. It is difficult to believe, considering the population levels of the time, that these invaders could arrive in such vast numbers to utterly overrun and replace existing, established populations. 

Cerdic - from John Speed's 1611 "Saxon Heptarchy"

That England is essentially an Anglo-Celtic land has since been borne out by recent genetic studies that indicate an intermingling, rather than replacement. This suggests that the change from Celtic to Anglo-Saxon was more of a gradual cultural and language metamorphosis than one born by the sword alone. Indeed the C7th laws of King Ine indicate that distinct Wealisc communities in the Wessex of his time still thrived and were under the king’s protection as were his Englisc subjects.

Fire & Steel is a beautifully crafted tale and in this humble reviewer’s opinion is nothing short of a work of genius: linking the legend of Beowulf to the creation of the Kingdom of Wessex. The details are well researched and there are some beautifully illustrated maps to trace the journey undertaken by the protagonist and his followers.

The prose is exquisite, combining modern English with Old English terms or equivalents. Within a few pages this language becomes as second nature to the reader. The land of old Engeln has anglicised place names making them very familiar and recognisable to the reader. Suddenly these lands aren’t Scandinavian, they’re distinctly English.  But as the Engles prepare for a new life in Britannia they take care to conceal the tombs of their ancestors lest invaders rob them. Indeed in modern Denmark there is barely a trace of the people that once held sway there, as if they had never been. There is a wonderfully described scene when the tomb of Eofer's grandfather is opened and the veil between the living and the dead is as gossamer:

Gleaming , the ancestral sword of their clan lay across the lap of the long dead earldorman and Wonred  spoke as he moved forward to lift it with reverence from the lap of his father.

“Father, this is your grandson, Eofer, called king’s bane. Slayer of Ongentheow, king of Swedes, hall burner of the king of the Danes… The Allfather has guided us to another land, a better land where the people can grow, prosper and bring the worship of the real gods to the people there. Before we leave these Wolds we will move to smite our enemies. Your grandson Eofer will carry Gleaming to Anglia so that it will remain in the clan always…”

Pattern welded Saxon sword - Thegns of Mercia blog

 The author skilfully weaves the religion and spirituality of his characters into the tale and makes it tangible and perfectly believable.  It is a great gift that this author has, that as a reader, you become fully immersed in this world that is both strange and yet eerily familiar. It is not an easy book to put down and it will take you a while to return to the C21st; whereas moments before you would have been tasting the salt tang spray as Eofer's Snaca rides mountainous waves, or the mounting tension before shieldwalls clash.

There are some wonderful characters in this novel: the superstitious Spearhafoc, like a woodland sprite dedicated to her thegn.  Oswin Word-Poor, a would be scop who’s poor verse causes his comrades to cringe at first but we watch amd listen as he hones his craft. Brave Imma Gold and Thrush Hemming, a pair of Eofer’s most trusted warriors. And Eofer king's bane himself of course; brave, honourable yet concerned that his fame- wealth endangers those around him, both from fiend (enemy) and perhaps friend alike.

I was swept along to the last page, which I regretfully turned, but fear not, for the saga of Eofer king’s bane has only begun. So don your helm, heft your shield and grasp your ashen spear for, as in the much improved wordcraeft of Oswin Silk-Tongue :

“Battle-play befits a thegn,

Bravery belongs to an eorle.

Heft Gleaming, bear your shield forward,

Under steep helms in the press of enemies,

Slayer of warlords, doomed leaders…”

C.R. May was born in Bow, East London before his family moved to South Ockendon, Essex. After hearing that Ockendon translated as Wocca's Hill in Saxon, a lifelong passion in history was kindled, which has taken him from Berlin to the site of the battle of Little Big Horn (via Erik the Red's Icelandic hall!). The influx of Germanic adventurers was recorded in the place names around him and, inspired one day, he decided to weave his own stories into this history. You can read and discover more information at his blog and the author may be found at Facebook. 

*********

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.

Louise Interviews Prue Batten About Her New Book, Tobias

Tobias by Prue Batten

Byzantium stretches a weakening grip across Eastern Europe, trying in vain to hold onto all that has made it an empire. Tyrian purple, the unique die that denotes its power, is held under close guard by the imperial house.
However a Jewish merchant from Venice has sourced an illegal supply and Tobias the dwarf minstrel and his twin brother, Tomas, begin a dangerous journey to retrieve the purple and deliver it into the merchant's eager hands.
But is this supply as secret as they had hoped?
Trade is cut throat, men are expendable, money is power and Constantinople provides the exotic backdrop during a time of scimitars and shadows.
This is Tobias - the story of a minstrel and a broken life...
 

 

Prue Batten

Welcome, Prue, thank you so much for joining me here today to chat about your new book, Tobias. 

I have really been looking forward to interviewing you about your new book, especially so, as you have left some very intriguing, 'end of the writing day', snippets from Tobias, from time to time, on Facebook.

For me, choosing an eponymous title is brave, because it gives nothing away to prospective readers. With that in mind, where did you first get the idea to write Tobias’ story?

Tobias was an endearing character in my previous trilogy, The Gisborne Saga where he first appeared in Book of Knights. In those books, he was a funny minstrel as capable of wielding a sword as a song, and he had a way of creeping under one’s skin. But of course, he had a condition that could have made or broken him during the Middle Ages, so I always knew there must be dark juxtaposed to light within. One day, my editor, John Hudspith, said, ‘You know, Tobias has a story! Why don’t you tell it?’It was a matter then, of finding the plot that would reveal his life. And find it, I did. Or to be more correct, and as is often the case – IT found me!

Tobias has a twin, Tomas. Tobias has dwarfism, (achondroplasia), does Tomas suffer from the same disease?

Rather than a disease, it should be considered a genetic condition and yes, Tomas is also a little person. There may be recorded instances of one twin being born normally and the other with achondroplasia, but for my purpose, Tomas and Toby were identical twins in every way, except for a widow’s peak on their hairline.

Having a character(s) with achondroplasia must have presented quite a few problems. I know that when you write, you are particular about collecting as much information as you can before you start, and carry on with the research as you go. Researching this condition, must have raised more questions than it answered, initially. For example, the way that the torso is compressed because of the curvature of the spine; this must create breathing problems, I would have thought. Also, the shortening of the limbs, legs particularly, must have been a more debilitating condition to endure in the time in which you have set Tobias. How did this affect your character?

Initially, I knew nothing. My first instinct was to google it and in so doing I found a wonderful blog, www.dwarfaware.wordpress.com. It’s owner, Jenovesia Porteo, has a wonderful son, Jax, with the genetic condition. Jenovesia generously answered every single question I have had through the writing process, including the seriously relevant ones of how Tobias and Tomas would cope with the rigours of the Middle Ages. There are certain acts that could kill outright and she would stop me in mid-flow and say, ‘No, that’s not possible.’

Little people can suffer claudication (compression) of the spine with certain hard physical activity, also their elbows and wrists are often fused and they can have bowlegs so bone pain is a given. As a horse-rider myself, I know how uncomfortable a hard day in the saddle can be. Imagine for a little person…

But Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones) once said, ‘I am not defined by my size.’ And ultimately that’s EXACTLY how I wanted Tobias (and Tommaso) to be seen.

I know that you have a love of embroidery. Therefore, you will have an ardent love of colour. Tyrian purple, a gloriously heady colour, of which I know little, other than it comes from sea snails. It’s understandable, therefore, that it would, by definition, be rare, and expensive. What gave you the idea of using this colour as a theme for your novel?

Hagia

There are two dyes which were highly sought after in the Middle Ages. One was purple, made from the Murex sea snails across the Adriatic, as you mentioned, and the other was red, made from kermes, the insect scale often found on oaks in the Mediterranean. For my purpose, with the Byzantines completely controlling the purple, I was enticed into a civilisation that gave so much to the modern world. I was sold on Tyrian Purple the moment I read the word ‘Byzantine’…

When you were in the early stages of writing Tobias, you posted on Facebook, on several occasions, that Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones, was the image that you held for Tobias. How important was that for you, to have Peter Dinklage’s image as a guide for Tobias?

Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones)

Very early on in my writing career, Pat Sweet, from, Bopress Miniature Books, talked to me about actors. She had been a theatre costume designer in Los Angeles in a previous life and she said to me: ‘Watch actors convey mood with their body, with their face, with their hands. Just watch.’ So I did. I found the slightest tic could be loaded, conveying the dimensions and nuances of a character. In respect of Tobias, it was doubly important because I knew no little people at all. So I watched every move Peter Dinklage made, listened to the timbre of his voice, and in the end he became Tobias for me.

I know that you have accumulated many photos on Pinterest, in relation to your research for Tobias. Many authors, including myself, like to travel to the places about which they write, within reason, of course. Do you feel that your meticulous research, which is evident in every book that you have written, would have been complimented by going to Venice, (who needs an excuse to go to Venice?) and Istanbul? And if so, why?

I have been to Venice as it happens. Quite some time ago admittedly, but I was a creature of journal-writing then, so I have a handy pile of handwritten notes from all over Europe and England. Even then, I dealt more with the sensory experience than anything, so that helped me enormously. As to Venice in the twelfth century – it was an archipelago of islets with trees and wildflowers and little flat bridges joining the place together. Saint Marks was in the process of construction, and the power of Venice as a trading centre was just on the rise, so vastly different to say, one hundred and fifty years later when things became legendary. 

Map of Constantinople

But Istanbul/Constantinople was a problem. I had never been there and so I trawled every single thing I could find on YouTube and immersed myself in the place. I read diaries from nineteenth century travellers, and then, most importantly, I relied on a friend who has lived there for many years and is still there and who had her children in the city. As I said in my Acknowledgements, she endeavoured ‘to find the unfindable’ because the reality is that twelfth century Constantinople was destroyed twice over. First in the Fourth Crusade and secondly in the Ottoman Conquest, so I faced a dilemma. But then I found http://www.byzantium1200.com/ and it became my library, my google maps, my wiki, my everything. It is a complete 3D reconstruction of everything I needed to know.

When you typed the last line of Tobias, were you sad, elated, or surprised that you had, in fact, come to the end?

Elated. It was quite a harrowing book to write and as the last words emerged, a sigh of content issued forth.

Tobias is the first in a series of three - The Triptych Chronicles – Will we see Tobias’ character carried through to the other books, or will we be treated to a completely new set of characters?

He will come and go, as will Sir Guy of Gisborne, William of Gisborne, Lady Ysabel, Mehmet al Din and others we have come to love. The next book is about Guillaume of Anjou, the Angevin archer who readers will remember from Book of Kings.

Aqueduct - Istanbul/Constantinople

I love your book covers, they are all exquisite. So, I’d love to chat with you about the cover for Tobias. I know that your daughter, Clare, designed it, and it is beautifully done, and I might add, that Tobias looks quite handsome, too. I know that you consider the cover of your books as important as the story inside. What makes you decide on the composition of your covers? What is the hook that tells you that this cover is going to work?

To be honest, I have little input in my covers. My daughter is very intuitive and we chat a little about a mood I wish to convey and we look together online for suitable portraits as we both feel close-up detail indicates that this (and the other two in the trilogy) is a very personal story. But juxtaposition and font, dark or light shading, placement, overlays of other images, I leave to her. She has won awards for her broader graphics work involving branding here in Australia, so I’m in good hands. Both she and I agree that we don’t want stock photographic images, that we want patina and a sense of a ‘Times Past’ and she manages to do that for me. She has designed eleven covers for me now. We changed covers early on when she suggested to me that a series should be bound by common threads. In The Chronicles of Eirie, you will see a border on each of the four books, on The Gisborne Saga, there is a similar mood created by a head and shoulders portrait, and this series will have the partial and very close-up portrait for each book. Each series has its own beautiful font. She also uses the faintest overlays or underlays – like a ghost whispering the story.

She also designed my website with a very talented web builder, Kim Maisch. Add to that my editor, John Hudspith, my e-formatter, Daniel Gillan, and my publisher, Darlington Press, and I’m really lucky that I have a very professional team.

Sea Wall

I know, by your posts on Facebook, that you enjoy the editing and proofreading process. For some authors this is a daunting prospect. I will count myself as one of those authors. Do you have a particular routine for editing and proofreading? What makes it enjoyable for you?

I write in long hand, so the simple act of transcribing to the computer is the first edit. Then each writing day, I read what I have transcribed the day before and edit again. That’s the process. When I have finished the novel, I print it off, do a red pen edit which takes into account historical facts. Then I send it to John Hudspith Editing Services for a definitive structural and line edit and then it comes back to me with track changes. Then I do a final read through and check that I am happy with it as a reader’s book and that’s it. 

I think the reason I enjoy it is that I like refining things, tidying, turning rough to smooth, making things work. And I’m learning all the time. And I love learning…

Finally, Prue, I know that you lead somewhat of a busy life, having a farm to run on that beautiful island of Tasmania. Do you have a special place to write, and where do you find the time to write?

Writing for me is an escape into another world entirely. I just love it. I write mostly at night and as I write in longhand, that’s invariably in bed with pad and pen. I transcribe onto a Macbook Air, so the little machine can be with me anywhere and everywhere. I don’t have a ‘space’ as such. It’s rather nice really, it means I write wherever I want, with a view out a window during the day, or tucked up on a cold night. Although, I am finding that more of the computer work must be done at a standing station because I have degeneration in some neck joints. Bah, the penalty of an ageing body! But my parting comment is that if one really loves what one is doing, one will make time to do it. Life’s too short not to!

***

Louise, I have loved these questions. Thank you so much for interviewing me, and thank you also to readers for spending the time learning about Tobias.

Thank you, Prue, it has been an absolute pleasure chatting with you, and learning about your journey with Tobias! 

You can find Prue Batten on the following links:

Prue Batten's blog - Facebook - Amazon - Goodreads - Pinterest

Louise Rule is author of Future Confronted

Sharon reviews In the Shadow of the Gallows by Linda Root

The author of this book has kindly offered Kindles copies of In the Shadow of the Gallows to TWO lucky reader. To be in with a chance to win, just leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

The draw will be announced on Friday 11th March 2016.

In the fourth book in the Legacy of the Queen of Scots series, it is early autumn, 1605. Marie Stuart's son James VI of Scotland has been James I of England for two and a half years... The crowns of England and Scotland have been joined. The King has settled in London and rules Scotland 'with his pen.'.... Will Hepburn's friend, Maitland, has uncovered a new plot against the king... Much to Maitland's consternation, Hepburn declines to become involved .....Will has promised Daisy to cease meddling in foreign intrigues and devote his attentions to his family, his ships and his sheep. They continue to lead a quiet life in Kinghorn until a band of intruders murders their master of the household and kidnaps Peter, their six-year-old wee lad. ... Peter's abduction is a Blackmail. People in high places are determined to keep Hepburn from warning the king, and not all of them are hot-headed English dissidents.

The great benefit of being book reviewer is that, every now and then, you get to read a wonderful gem of a story that may otherwise have slipped by you. In the Shadow of the Gallows is a first class political thriller which takes the reader on a wild ride through Scotland and England - the intrigues of the Gunpowder Plot. You need to keep your wits about you to successfully navigate the intricate twists and turns of the unfolding plot. But this book is well and truly worth the sleepless nights you will have wondering how the protagonists will get out of their latest jam - and whether they will win in the end.

Our Scottish heroes have to navigate their way through plot, counter-plot and conspiracy in order to survive and get themselves safely home. A sense of duty keeps them going in the face of unimaginable danger. The stakes are high, but their mutual trust keeps them together and helps them hold their nerve against enemies who seem to be everywhere, as they are unwittingly drawn into the intrigues surrounding the Gunpowder Plot:

"He reached out and opened his hand.
'The constable found this sgian stuck in Matt's left side near his heart. No Englishman carries one of these. A Scotsman did this.
'I promise ye on God's Holy Book, I'll gut the bastards when I find them, one and all. What's more I'll toss aside my Bible and swear on my two-edged blade to skin any Scot I find who took part in this unholy deed, and I'll nae be quick about it.'
Daisy took comfort in knowing Hepburn's scrappy nature was restored, but it did not quell her outrage.
'Only if ye find 'em afore I dae, husband.' "

I devoured this book, its intelligent and thoughtful storyline had me addicted from the first page. Although it's the fourth in a series, it works incredibly well as a standalone, with the back story told as and when needed; and no hidden loose ends coming back too surprise you.

Holyrood Palace

The most pleasant surprise is the language. The author does not attempt to make her Scottish characters speak 'the queen's English'. She allows them the use of their own dialect and this is a major strength in the book. It helps to convey the passion and commitment of the story's heroes, and allows them to retain their own little intimate circle throughout the story.

This novel has a wealth of extraordinary characters, the majority of them taken from history and given life and soul by Ms Root.  

Tenacious, brave and courageous, the heroine, Daisy Kirkaldy, is a lady of remarkable resilience, with a strength of character of which most heroes would be in awe. She is an iron-willed she-wolf who will do anything to protect her cubs and wider family. Her husband, Will Hepburn, is a man of many talents, trying to navigate his family safely through uncertain times. His marriage with Daisy is - for the most part - a partnership, a relationship based on mutual trust, admiration and love. As a couple they make a formidable team, not only playing to each other's abilities and strengths, but also to their mutual dependency.

The strong supporting cast of friends and enemies is a long list of the great and good of early Stuart England; enemies are not necessarily who we think they are - but then neither are the allies. 

Palace of Westminster

Linda Root takes her characters from the Lowlands of Scotland, through the wild Borders and as far south as London, with several sojourns in the English midlands. The landscape is wild and untamed, while the castles are cold, and often sinister.

The story has been meticulously researched. The religious and political themes of the Gunpowder Plot, the comparisons between the Scots and the English, and between Catholic and Protestant, have the remarkable ability to give the reader a sense of the charged atmosphere that must have been running through the societies of England and Scotland at the time.

Linda Root brings the first decade of the Seventeenth Century to vivid life. The characters, costumes and politics of the day are cleverly used to give us a story that is impossible to put down. The combination of the determination and courage of the Scots is nicely contrasted by the secret machinations and counter-plotting of the politicians and conspirators, making for a wonderfully entertaining and engaging story. The mystery and intrigues provide for a thoroughly engrossing novel, full of action, adventure, mystery - and a hint of romance.

It's always a pleasure to discover a new author and reading Linda Root's  In The Shadow of the Gallows has been a wonderful experience - the only thing is . . .  I will now have to go away and read all her other books - to keep me busy until the next one is out . . .

About the Author: Linda Root is the author of The First Marie and the Queen of Scots, The Last Knight and the Queen of Scots, and four books in The Legacy of the Queen of Scots series. The fifth, Deliverance of the Lamb, is coming in early 2016. She lives in the Southern California high desert community of Yucca Valley with her husband Chris and two giant woolly Alaskan Malamutes, Maxx and Maya. She is a retired major crimes prosecutor, a member of the Marie Stuart Society, and of the California State Bar and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.  
Linda Root's books can be found on Amazon.


Sharon Bennett Connolly has been a reviewer for The Review since 2015. Fascinated by history for over 30 years she has studied the subject both academically and  just for the joy of it - and has even worked as a tour guide at historical sites. She is now having great fun passing that love of the past to her 10-year-old son; visiting abbeys, hunting dragons in medieval castles and searching for fossils at the beach. Having received a blog, History . . . the Interesting Bits, as a present for Christmas 2014, she is now enjoying sharing her obsession of history with her readers.


 




 
 

PAULA READS: OX HERDING BY JACKIE GRIFFITHS

The Author has very graciously offered an ebook copy of this wonderfully written book.

 To get your name in the hat for the draw, all you need to do is leave a comment below

 or if you prefer, you can leave a comment  on our Facebook Page.

The draw takes place on the 5th March

 ‘Seek and ye shall find’
   Ox Herding by Jackie Griffiths is not a book that I would have normally chosen to read. Its genre would most likely come under Philosophy, Religious, Spiritual and generally I would steer clear of these types of books in the book shop, mainly because when I’m looking for a book to read, its more likely to be of the blood and battles.variety. However, I had a preview of this book when it was submitted for review, and I was intrigued by the first few pages I read. I cannot put my finger on why, but something about this book caught me and hooked me in, and so, I decided to give it a go.

   The plot is about a young woman, Jae, who loses her beloved grandmother and yearns to find the peace and contentment that her gran seems to have found in the end of her days. Like Jae, Grandma Vivian was thinker – a philosopher; and Jae had spent many Sunny afternoons, sharing tea and cake, with her, pondering over the meaning of life and whether or not there was a God. Jae would ask her wise and seemingly intellectual granny, a number of metaphysical questions, and Grandma Vivian would reply by asking another question, in effect handing the original thought back to her granddaughter to explore more in depth. But when Vivian passes away, Jae is bereft and falls into a deep depression, losing interest in life, her little daughter, her partner and the things that she enjoys. She is left wondering "what is the point?"

   Jae receives a letter from the solicitor, informing her that she has been left a small amount of money that might be enough for her to start a business. Also with the solicitor’s letter, is enclosed a white envelope from her gran with the words inside,

‘Seek and ye shall find.’

 Suddenly, her soul is stirred and she is filled with a desire to know and prompts her to ask:

What is the point of all this? Who am I? What is the truth? Why am I doing this? Is there a God?

   There are ten chapters, all rooted within the sequential phases of understanding of life, as presented in ‘The Ten Ox Herding Pictures’, from the Chinese philosophical classic. Through these chapters, Jae journeys to discover the meaning and secrets of an enlightened life. As I began reading and getting to know Jae, a thirty-something woman, having recently moved out of her partner’s home with their daughter to live with her parents again, I was reminded of a similar situation I had once had in my own life. At 26, I had run away from a damaging relationship to live with my parents and baby boy. Though Jae had not split from her partner, and her reasons for leaving him were more about financial and logistical reasons rather than a relationship that had ended, I felt as if I knew where she was coming from, because like Jae, I was searching for a purpose, a meaning and a reason for living. It was, as I remember, a dark time for me, just as it was for Jae.

   This book is like no other I have ever read before, and I had at some time in my life, looked at various religions and ways of living on my own journey. It might have been likely that back then, more than 25 years ago, I might also have picked up this book, out of interest. Now, I think I know where I am going and although I don’t believe I have ‘arrived’, my days of reading spiritual novels, or texts, are long gone. So I amazed myself, when I found myself looking forward to the next time I could pick up where I left off.

   Written in a ‘Carrollesque’ style ( I picked up on this before I’d seen this mentioned in the blurb on Goodreads), I saw strong resemblances to Jae’s character to that of Alice in Wonderland. She is a curious persona, not afraid to question the mystical presences she meets on the path to her enlightenment. She is also able to challenge them, in an Alice-type way. Jae is stumped by her Granny Vivian’s note – ‘seek and you shall find’, and has no idea where to start looking. But one day, she takes notice of a picture of a bull and its herder. It is these two components of this strange wall picture, that she wonders why she bought, who become very important to Jae on her journey, as the reader shall see when she comes across them on the path.

   The author has written the book in the present tense, which adds a delightful dream-like element to the narrative. She cleverly incorporates the Zen philosophy of the Ten Ox Herding pictures into Jae’s journey, starting with her interviewing various promoters of numerous religions and philosophies. As Jae travels through the spiritual encampment she has stumbled upon, she searches for the truth – the meaning of life - and it is not until she has questioned each spiritual entity, danced the tango with an ox and whipped a subservient bull, that she finds what she is looking for. Sound strange? One might think so, but this book is very thought provoking and has certainly made me think, deeply, about my own beliefs.

   I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are spiritually inclined. It's different, quirky, and I very much liked that element. Its also deep, but not deep, if you know what I mean. Its easy to read. Although the author describes it as a 'secular journey to find oneself' I find it a very spiritual read, for not all spirituality needs to come from religion.

“It’s as if I’ve lost something mysterious or profound, but I’ve no idea what…How can I begin to search for something if I don’t know what it is I’ve lost? Or even whether I have lost anything in the first place…”

The answer is simple… “Seek and you shall find…”

About the Author

Jackie Griffiths has a BSc in Psychology and Computing and an MA in Psychoanalytic Studies, and has been writing fiction and non-fiction material for twenty years. In 2003 she founded an online copywriting business providing content for websites, print and digital media, before selling up to concentrate on her novels and short stories. She now lives in abject poverty in the freezing ruins of an old sewage works somewhere in the UK, where she is working on her third novel.

Ox Herding can be purchased on Amazon UK and Amazon .Com

And you can read more about Jackie on her Facebook page.

and Twitter

Paula Lofting is the author of Sons of the Wolf  and founder of The Review. She is currently writing a blog to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Invasion of England which can be found on her website paulalofting.com

Richard reviews: Britannia's Spartan, by Antoine Vanner

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

The draw will be announced about a week after this post.

Cover - Britannia's Spartan

Britannia's Spartan is the fourth in Antoine Vanner's Dawlish series. The earlier ones are Britannia's Wolf, Britannia's Reach, and Britannia's Shark. I have been following these from the beginning and have very much enjoyed the introduction to the world of the Royal Navy of the late nineteenth century. 

This was a period of vast technological and social change. At the start of Nicholas Dawlish's fictional life, naval battles were still fought between wooden sailing ships armed with muzzle-loading cannon, of a basic design unchanged since Tudor times. By the time of Britannia's Spartan - the 1880s - he is commanding a steel-hulled ship driven by steam power, with breech-loading guns mounted in sponsons, carrying and being vulnerable to torpedoes. Rudimentary submarines were under development. The only major game-changer in naval warfare which did not appear in the nineteenth century was the aircraft, and these would also make their appearance before Dawlish's death in 1918 (still many books away, I am happy to say).

So, somebody in Dawlish's position had to master an ever-changing series of demands, if he was to continue to progress in his career. Men like Dawlish had been inspired by the careers of Nelson, Pellew, and the like, but the practical business of running a ship had changed radically since their day.

HMS Leander, a sister-ship to Leonidas (Wiki)

At this time England was, at least nominally, at peace. Ship captains were expected to have the ability to represent both their nation and their monarch as surrogate diplomats, not simply as warriors. However, the reality of service in foreign waters, accompanied by a degree of isolation from superior officers which is hard for us to contemplate, meant that every encounter could potentially be hostile. Some countries held grudges against England, and some factions within a country might attempt a surprise attack to gain some political advantage. There was, quite simply, no way to be sure whether the ship seen coming over the horizon was friend or foe. Dawlish's career, and the lives of his crew, depend constantly on his making the right assessment.

Approaching one of the city gates in Seoul, Korea, late 19th century (Daily Mail)

Each Dawlish book so far has focused on a different theatre of action. Britannia's Spartan takes our hero to the Far East, where rivalries and alliances between Korea, China, Japan and Russia have to be understood, and then turned to British advantage. For Dawlish, these cultures are opaque and challenging, as well as stirring up difficult memories of the early years of his naval service. Is he able to identify friend and foe quickly enough to meet the challenges, both on the field of battle and in the political arena?

Upper-class Korean lady with servants in attendance, 1904 (Daily Mail)

In earlier books, Dawlish's naval battles, when they are forced on him, have often been in confined spaces such as river valleys, or around coastlines. Here, on the other hand, we are able to witness him working in the open sea. Ship handling, rather than judicious use of the terrain, is the key to success. Dawlish's ship, Leonidas, is technologically ahead of many ships in this part of the world, but not necessarily all of them. The skills of captain and crew must make up for any shortfall.

But sometimes battle has to be declined, and Dawlish must weigh carefully the consequences of both action and inaction. One of the most poignant moments in the book - and perhaps the one best illustrating Dawlish's own development as a ship captain - is when he has to decide not to provide help to a Chinese landing party who have been ambushed. Never reinforce failure is a military maxim used by von Clausewitz, Napoleon and countless others, back into antiquity and forward to the present day - and Dawlish is forced to adhere to the maxim despite the human cost. In the end he is able to redress the balance, but the moment has clearly weighed very heavily on his soul.

British naval scene, late 1880s (Navyweb)

Both militarily and politically, Britannia's Spartan is a very strong book. Challenges must be faced at sea, during marine landings, and in ornate houses and palaces of state. It is a different world than the Victorian England that Dawlish has left behind. My only regret is that we meet so little of Florence, Dawlish's wife, who is a splendid character in her own right. Given the geographical setting, this was inevitable, but I still missed her.

All in all, Britannia's Spartan comes strongly recommended by me, whether or not you have read the earlier books in the series. Each is self-contained, and you can start to know Dawlish and his career at any point.

About the author:

My name is Antoine Vanner and I write naval fiction set in the period 1859 to 1918. As such I'm dealing with a period of very rapid technological and political development, one in which "The Age of Fighting Sail" evolved somewhat painfully into "The Age of Fighting Steam".

The hero of my fiction is an ambitious Royal Navy officer, Nicholas Dawlish (1845-1918). For me he's a real person whose life I am continuing to research in ever greater detail, and you can find a short summary of his life on the following link: A Life of Service and Adventure.

The first book in the Dawlish series - Britannia's Wolf - is now also available via Audible, read by US actor and drama professor David Doersch.

Find out more at his blog, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Richard Abbott lives in London, England. He writes historical fiction set in the ancient Middle East - Egypt, Canaan and Israel - and also science fiction about our solar system in the fairly near future.

When not writing words or computer code, he enjoys spending time with family, walking, and wildlife, ideally combining all three pursuits in the English Lake District. He is the author of In a Milk and Honeyed Land, Scenes From a Life, The Flame Before Us - and most recently Far from the Spaceports. He can be found at his website or blog, on Google+, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.