October 2013 MEGA Book of the Month and eBook of the Month.
The first in a new series of the Wars of the Roses. Whereas the recent TV drama The White Queen looked at the period from the female point of view, this is the male’s angle. It tries to make sense of the truce between the French and English with Henry VI’s marriage to Margaret of Anjou, his death and the Duke of York protector of the realm. Conn creates a fictional character in Derry Brewer which shows how Henry was managed by those about him leading to the Wars of the Roses. This is excellent, fans of his ancient Rome series will not be disappointed and I’m sure this now popular period will bring him many a new fan.
The Lovereading view...
Historical fiction master Conn Iggulden retells the gripping story of the English civil war in his new Wars of the Roses series. Stormbird is a fast paced and brilliantly weighted historical thriller. With its juxtaposition of characters from the high nobility and ordinary peasants, it gives a full flavour of the age. Whilst the key events are true, they are expertly blended with the fiction to create a three dimensional and absorbing portrait of the momentous events of the period.
The action shifts at a breath-taking pace between France and England, between the royal chapel, rural farmsteads and all manner of detailed locations in-between. The complex politics of the era are distilled down and accessible to all readers and with no faction given undue weight what emerges is a set of strong and believable characters all flawed in their own way.
The mixture of fact and fiction is well balanced and the plot which emerges is engrossing and full blooded. Whilst it does not end on a cliff hanger it still hints at further turmoil to come, and we eagerly anticipate the sequel.
The first in the series, Stormbird is set to be a landmark piece of historical fiction writing. It's not published untill 10 October but you can read a extra long extract today.
For more information about Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series, direct from the publisher, click here.
King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is long dead. In 1437, after years of regency, the pious and gentle Henry VI, the Lamb, comes of age and accedes to the English throne.
His poor health and frailty of mind render him a weakling king - Henry depends on his closest men, Spymaster Derry Brewer and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to run his kingdom. Yet there are those, such as the Plantagenet Richard, Duke of York, who believe England must be led by a strong king if she is to survive. With England's territories in France under threat, and rumours of revolt at home, fears grow that Henry and his advisers will see the country slide into ruin. With a secret deal struck for Henry to marry a young French noblewoman, Margaret of Anjou, those fears become all too real. As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who, or what, can save the kingdom before it is too late?
'This is energetic, competent stuff; Iggulden knows his material and his audience.' Independent
'Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction.' Daily Mirror
'Iggulden ...tells an absolutely cracking story.' The Times
Author
About Conn Iggulden
Conn Iggulden is one of the most successful authors of historical fiction writing today; with UK sales topping almost 3 million, Conn has joined the likes of Bernard Cornwell and Ken Follett on the A-list of historical novelists. Conn’s previous two series, on Julius Caesar and on the Mongol Khans of Central Asia, describe the founding of the greatest empires of their day and were number one bestsellers. An ex-school teacher and adventurer, Conn was the first author to ever achieve a simultaneous no 1 across and fiction and non-fiction charts with Dangerous Book for Boys. Over 7 million copies of his books have now sold globally. Conn lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and four children.
