Almost any English speaking student today rhymes off the Norman Conquest of present day England occurred in 1066 and that will be the end of that till the Magna Carta in 1215 and then on to more modern stuff. This is definitely not the case for James Aitcheson as a young history scholar. Not only is he fully captivated by the major social and economic transformation that occurred during this time period, along with the related massive political upheavals and bloody battles; but, he has chosen to write about this turbulent time from the Norman point of view in his 1066: The Bloody Aftermath Conquest series.

THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM is the second book in Aitcheson's Conquest series and the main protagonist is Tancred a Dinant, a 27 year old proud and arrogant Norman knight from Breton who is enjoying his newly won lordship and manor home at Earnford, close by the border in the Welsh Marches. His peaceful farms and the lives of the English people now under his protection and banner are shattered by Welsh raiders, and Tancred is relentless in pursuing them. Will the English folk whose language he does not know accept him as being capable of being their leader?

Tancred loves his new lands and is happy and settled in his life with his woman Leofrun, now pregnant with their first child. Yet,will he be able to stay? Despite his longings and vow to protect his people, larger troubles loom darkly on the horizon and he knows he has to follow his lord. Some of the English rebels, such as Eadger the Aetheling, are swelling the ranks of the Welsh and helping their cause. Can the Normans hold out against them? If that isn't trouble enough, they are not Tancred's only enemies. Some Norman barons are jealous of the favour given to this upstart Breton. Will treachery be involved as he battles for his life? What will be the outcome?

As a historian and storyteller, James Aitcheson instantly pulls you into the sights, smells, places and times of this little told period of time in 1070 as the Normans battle to hold onto their newly gained lands from their many enemies near and far. Many of the characters, including Tancred, are introduced in the first book of the Conquest series, Sworn Sword, yet they are also fully developed as characters in THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM, so this can be read as a stand-alone novel, yet I am sure history buffs and adventure fans will definitely want to read all the exciting tales in this saga.

Told in the first person from Tancred's perspective, the reader experiences his life and emotions in graphic detail, especially in the battle scenes. Tancred is an intelligent and easy to like hero and from his perceptive eyes, we see the hostility or acceptance of the recently conquered English, the rivalry and bloodthirstiness of his fellow Normans, and the shifting fates facing men and women, whether they were born noble or not. While there is a tiny hint of a romantic relationship in the story, due to the nature of the times and Tancred's role as a knight, politics, fights and battles form the bulk of this thrilling and very well written story.

Whether you are a lover of English history or not, this is an amazing story you will not want to miss! England truly was THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM during this very turbulent time. I can now hardly wait to get my hands on the next book, Knights of the Hawk, to hear more about what happens next!