Book Synopsis:
ONE OF THE MOST TURBULENT REIGNS IN HISTORY PAVED THE WAY FOR THE FIRST MODERN REVOLUTION.
AFTER THE TUDORS CAME THE STUARTS . . .
If you enjoy S. J. Parris and Andrew Taylor, then this is the series you need to read next.
August 25, 1689
The English Army is besieging Carrickfergus in Ireland. Brilliant but unusual gunner Holcroft Blood of the Royal Train of Artillery is ready to unleash his cannons on the rebellious forces of deposed Catholic monarch James II. But this is more than war for Captain Blood, a lust for private vengeance burns within him.
French intelligence agent Henri d’Erloncourt has come across the seas to foment rebellion against William of Orange, the newly installed Dutch ruler of England, Scotland and Ireland. But Henri’s true mission is not to aid the suffering of the Irish but to serve the interests of his master, Louis le Grand.
Michael ‘Galloping’ Hogan, brigand, boozer and despoiler of Protestant farms, strives to defend his native land – and make a little profit on the side. But when he takes the Frenchman’s gold, he suspects deep in his freedom-loving heart, that he has merely swapped one foreign overlord for another.
July 1, 1690
On the banks of the River Boyne, on a fateful, scorching hot day, two armies clash in bloody battle – Protestant against Catholic – in an epic struggle for mastery of Ireland. And, when the slaughter is over and the smoke finally clears, for these three men, nothing will ever be the same again . . .
Blood’s Campaign is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of Angus Donald as he knows how to write fast paced, fascinating books that really make history come to life.
The author’s love of history shines through in this book and the perfect blend of fact and fiction shows the author’s wonderful imagination. I didn’t know much about this period in history so enjoyed learning more about this difficult time. There was an awful lot of change happening so I found it very interesting to discover more.
The main character Holcroft was an intriguing gentleman to say the least. He likes order which he gets through his military career but doesn’t seem to like other people much He’s based on a real person and I liked how the author manages to bring him to life by including all of the small details about what he liked or disliked into the story.
My only slight niggle about this book was that I thought there was a bit too many battle scenes which, while historically important, got a bit repetitive after a while. I found myself skimming through these so that I could get back to the story.
Overall I thought this was a fast paced, interesting read which was hugely enjoyable. Some parts are a little gory but I think it’s to be expected in a book like this. I hadn’t read the first books in the series and while I think this could be read as a standalone, I think you might benefit from reading them in order so you understand more about the characters and their history.
Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Zaffre Books for my copy of this book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
About The Author:
Angus Donald was educated at Marlborough College and Edinburgh University. He has worked as a fruit-picker in Greece, a waiter in New York and as an anthropologist studying magic and witchcraft in Indonesia. For many years he was a journalist in Hong Kong, India, Afghanistan and London. He is married to Mary, with whom he has two children, and he now writes full time from a medieval farmhouse in Kent.
He is the author of the bestselling Outlaw Chronicles, a series of eight books set in the 12th/13th centuries and featuring a gangster-ish Robin Hood and his loyal lieutenant Sir Alan Dale. His new Holcroft Blood series stars a mildly autistic artillery officer who was the son of notorious 17th-century Crown Jewel thief Colonel Thomas Blood. The series begins with Blood’s Game, followed by Blood’s Revolution and Blood’s Campaign (out November 2019). The author has also written an epic Asian fantasy novel Gates of Stone under the pseudonym Angus Macallan. He is always happy to chat to readers on Facebook, Twitter and via his website http://www.angusdonaldbooks.com
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