Becky Bookworm Book Review - Swordland by Edward Ruadh Butler

Swordland by Ruadh Butler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Who knew such a small book could contain such drama, action, adventure and war.
Which isn't surprising considering the main cast of characters are Norman - the people who assumed the mantle of Warlords after the age of the Vikings.
However, it may be surprising to many whom like me aren't familiar with Norman history beyond October 1066, that this tale is set not in England, but firstly in Wales and then on to Ireland.
For the Normans didn't just transform the fate of England, but also our neighbours in both land and sea. The Welsh weren't entirely happy having the Normans as new neighbours and so proved problematic, yet it seemed the only people who were even slightly happy for the Norman's arrival - were the Irish, or some of the Irish. Mainly those who were losing an age old feud against other feudal Lords and the High King. They see an opportunity to lure theses masters of war with the offer of land, so they can defeat their enemies and claim back more land than they lost.
Thus you are introduced to Robert Fitz Stephen, a proud Norman who will prove to be both Ireland's saviour and it's doom.
The drama kicks off from the very first sentence on the first page and keeps up all the way through. So many characters both good and bad or in-between, both Norman, Welsh and Irish, and even the settled Norsemen of Ireland who also had to face the Normans, all help give the reader a 360 degree omniscient view of the entire story.

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