Hereward: The Devil's Army by James WildeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If readers think that the first Hereward novel was blood fueled and action packed well the sequel Hereward: The Devil's Army completely tops it. There are not just more epic battles to be fought, lost or won but also the private battle within the characters comes to the fore as Hereward struggles with his new found leadership with a people who are as tempted to follow him for the right reasons as betray him for all the wrong reasons. He has to either demonstrate mercy or fear if he wishes to rule his followers and gather an army to evenge the fall of the English crown.
However Hereward is not the only key character in this ever twisting and gripping plot, the reader is also introduced to characters from the other side, some Norman barons, the hostage earls Edwin and Morcar and an English advisor called fox who has won himself the King's ear but it sadly leads to the biggest crime of all - the harrying of the north!
Betrayal, loyalty, love and honour are stretched on both sides of the battlefields with plots, secrets and assassinations attempted in various manners and forms not just against Hereward but those most loyal to him, Alric the monk and Turfida his wife. All in an attempt to undermine his power as well as his army.
All these characters and more will fight and struggle against increasingly overwhelming odds both on a personal and more national level and not all will survive for Herewards fears about a traitor lying in the rabble of his army is well founded but only near the end of the book does the reader and Hereward learn their identity and suffer the most traumatic consequences.
This is a prize worthy sequel to the first Hereward novel and as the tension and blood fury increases I can only expect the finale sequel to be utterly mindblowing. Readers are guaranteed not to be disappointed if you follow Hereward further on his quest to save England from the Normans.
View all my reviews
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. All comments are reviewed so any Spam is identified and deleted.