The Splintered Kingdom by James AitchesonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Well, if you think Tancred got into enough trouble with his lord being murdered by a hoarde of anglo-saxons and then getting involved with a traitorous cleric who was trying to salvage the body of the 'usurper' Harold Godwineson - think again! James Aitcheson brings back the scary revelation of how troublesome the years after 1066 were and in Splintered Kingdom he reveals that it wasn't just the English wanting to get rid of the Normans, the Welsh also were quite good at kicking up a fuss. Such attacks by the Welsh were like pesky mosquito bites to the fragile Norman regime William was trying to enforce and Tancred becomes not just personally devestated by such attacks but also embroiled in an attempt to crush the Welsh rebellions once and for all.
But James doesn't leave the plot line as tidy as that for the strategy fails and backfires horribly on Tancred's honour creating new enemies and estranging his closest comrades in arms. But if you think that is the worse Tancred has to face well dear reader each stage of this battle-full saga will break your heart for our dearest Norman knight as much worse is yet to come and Tancred will have to somehow survive if he is to keep his name intact let alone a head on his shoulders.
This is a truly astonishing sequel to Sworn Sword, more packed with battles, enemies, blood-shed, trauma and of course shock and horror as events unfold to a climactic ending which no one will see coming and leaves us all gasping not just for breath but the adventures to continue in the next book.
As a firm viking fan I must admitt, James Aitcheson has shown that the Vikings didn't have all the fun adventures and battles, for Normans invading and conquering a foreign land, every day was a new adventure and a new battle to be fought and won.
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