Friday, October 18, 2013

The Winter Warrior by James Wilde

The Winter Warrior by James Wilde
Reviewed by W. Keith McCoy, Somerset County Library System

William the Conqueror (or the Bastard as the English referred to him) was ruthless in his takeover of that sceptered isle in 1066.  Many resisted, none as viciously as Hereward, rogue son of a minor landowner.  Using the wild fen country as his base, Hereward cobbled together a motley crew of guerrillas to slash at the Norman usurpers. This particular novel (second in a series, but able to stand on it own) details the gory tit-for-tat of this rebellion, and is salted with much deceit and twists of plot.  The reader can see Hereward grow as a tactician, but the angry, out of control renegade is never far below the surface.  Based on an actual historical figure who may have been the model for Robin Hood.  This can easily be paired the recently published Sworn Sword by Aitcheson, which covers the same time period from the Norman viewpoint. Verdict: Readers who like history mixed with battles, and who prefer a good dose of action and character, will enjoy this second installment.

Originally published in Library Journal!